Whispers and Lies
by a.lil.pumpkin
Summary: Re-risen and reunited, the Organization chooses a new member to aid them. The more she learns, the more she begins to see just how frayed the strands between them all are. AxelxOC in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my OC.

Sorry for the long author's note, but I'm hoping this is my only one so I want to get it over with . . .

**WARNING:** There's going to be some references and spoilers to Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days throughout the story. I tried to stay true to the details, so if I got something pretty messed up I'd like to know.

About the Organization: I'll explain their return in future chapters. I wouldn't like myself if I just had them pop up without any explanations.

I'd be very grateful for any criticism. Though I'll admit now I don't like this chapter.. If I disagree or if it's a point that I'm planning on explaining/using later, I'll mention that-hopefully without spoiling the rest of the story.

**-I fixed a mistake...Axel introduced himself in Chapter 2 as well, so I deleted that line in this chapter. Hehe...that's embarrassing on my part. Sorry!-**

Thanks very much for your patience in this ridiculously long note!

**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**

**CHAPTER 1**

To become a part of something striving for more than nothing, every past memory must be was gone now, as was everything she had known and loved. Xenalor was the body still moving, the soul still wandering. She couldn't miss Lenora even if she were able to-it was like missing a familiar figure from a distant dream. Though she could identify Lenora's face as what was once her own, there was no attachment to it. Despite what she was told, Xenalor knew that she and that girl were separate beings. Lenora had been strong, but not strong enough to survive. Her Nobody was determined not to repeat that mistake.

"So, Xenalor, what will it be?" The hooded figure before her asked. There was no impatience in his tone, only a strikingly natural authority.

He offered a chance to join an Organization, focused on regaining their hearts to become "whole." Something to live for and to fight for. Besides, she couldn't deny it offered the opportunity to battle against the exact thing Lenora lost everything to.

"I'll go."

His lips curled upwards for the first time, but the gesture wasn't pleasant. "Excellent."

She followed him through the dark streets of a place a civilian called "Traverse Town."

The town was a contrast to the home she remembered. Lenora had lived for years in that place. It was a world she loved, filled with people she would die for. While this town was steady and silent, Xenalor could recall memories of a bustling city full of noise and laughter. Passions and angers raged strongly in the vibrant variety of inhabitants, who were always in a rush to complete every routine of their day. The monotony of these habits was broken in a single night, as was the entire city and all who lived in it. Family, friends, even Lenora herself . . . wiped from existence in a single, swift strike.

"My name is Xemnas. You may refer to me as the Superior." He spoke, breaking the silence.

Somehow, it didn't seem like a request. Xenalor nodded, but he didn't seem to have bothered checking for a response.

A deep voice broke her rumination of his unique potency and almost random bursts of frank statements, "There."

She didn't have to ask what. The massive castle made the answer obvious enough.

**x-x-x-x-x-x**

"Remind me again why we're here?" Larxene complained impatiently, filing her nails with a bored expression.

"With Xemnas, who the hell knows?" Axel replied with closed eyes, leaning against the back of his chair.

"If I were you, I would show proper respect." Saïx growled and leered down at him from his own seat.

If Axel's eyes were open, he would have rolled them. "I'll show respect when I'm not woken up at three in the fucking morning!" He growled, flashing a look of agitation as his outburst ended.

The other members watched the fight impassively. It wasn't the first time Axel and Saïx had fought. Normally, they would've told them, meaning mainly Axel, to shut up, but this was a rare occasion. It offered some form of entertainment while also filling the silence that had lasted for the forty-five minutes they had been waiting. The Organization gathered in what was known as the 'meeting room', A room they soon learned to dread. Their Superior only gathered them there for his long discussions or when there was something extremely important to say, which surprisingly didn't happen often.

"The Superior," Saïx said loyally, "called us here for a reason." He was now struggling to remain calm.

"Well I'm not seeing it! Unless he's testing how long we can wait in this godforsaken room when we _should_ be sleeping." Axel snarled.

He had never been exactly what one would describe as a "morning person." Actually, he was well known amongst his fellow members for throwing his alarm clock across the room. An event that occurred so often that there had to be an indestructible alarm set in the wall. However, he was not to blame for being angry this time. Everyone-except perhaps, Saïx-had found it on some scale ridiculous to call an emergency meeting so early.

Just when Saïx was about to snap, a portal opened.

"This," Xemnas said, putting a hand on the shoulder of a short girl cloaked in the Organization's attire, "is Number XIII, Xenalor. The Whisper of Delusions."

Several eyes widened and took in the sight as the girl reached up and tugged back her hood. Another member, after so much chaos caused by all the others, was not what was expected.

Axel's eyes narrowed as he measured her appearance. She didn't even look like Organization material. Only just a small hourglass figure more fit to brush her hair or worry about that sickly pale skin rather than to engage in combat. She never even looked at a member directly, opting to stare straight ahead with an impassive expression, completely indifferent to what took place around her.

"You've got to be joking."

"Do you question me, Number VIII?" Xemnas' voice was glacial.

Axel stopped short and smoothed his expression. "No, Superior."

He already had a reputation for being called a traitor. It was best to stay on Xemnas' good side, even if this joke of a member wasn't nearly as competent as Ro-

"Perhaps you'd like to get to know her." Of course he couldn't walk out without some form of punishment, and Axel had a bad feeling of where this was headed. "I want you to give her a tour of the castle and show her to her room. Explain to her how things are done here. I think it may be a good reminder to you both."

Those eyes looked up at him meaningfully. "Don't lose her."

Axel nodded. The threat behind that short sentence didn't have to be spelled-out any clearer. "Dismissed." Xemnas said, satisfied.

The other members didn't take their time leaving. It was only a matter of seconds when Axel appeared next to the girl.

She raised her gray eyes at him reluctantly.

"I always get stuck with the icky jobs." Axel shook his head and stretched out an arm to create a portal for both of them.

He opened a portal to the extra room of the castle."Well?" He prompted, pushing her roughly through when she didn't respond.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Here's your room." The one called 'Number VIII' gestured unceremoniously at the small, white space surrounding them. Too white, too clean, and to Xenalor, very cold and unfeeling. She supposed that's what made it perfect for a, as the Superior had mentioned, Nobody like her.

Xenalor watched him out of the corner of her eye as he yawned widely and clawed a hand through his disheveled hair. If the fact that he seemed to be more outspoken than the others was anything to go by, then the intense red strands suited him.

"What's your name?" She asked carefully. He appeared to be in a better mood, or at least he was looking around the room in boredom rather than glaring at her. She decided against arguing his behavior toward her, not wanting to make the situation worse while they were stuck together on Xemnas' orders.

He glanced quickly at her before looking away with a slight smirk. "So she speaks. The name's Axel. Got it memorized?"

He pressed on before she could answer. "It's late, or should I say early, and all I wanted since I woke up was to go back to sleep again. So I'll chauffeur you around in the morning and tell you the basics. Then you can stop relying on me to play nanny. Be ready by eight." He was gone with a casual wave of his hand.

Xenalor rolled her eyes when the swirl of darkness faded. "Bye."

Tomorrow, she concluded, was going to be a very long day.

**x-x-x-x-x-x**

Sleeping wasn't easy, regardless of the eventful night that should have exhausted her. By the time Axel came, she had given up altogether and was waiting fully dressed.

He noted the dark circles underneath her eyes. "Rough night?"

"Er-yeah." Xenalor raised her hand to her head, making sure that her hair was still pulled back, however roughly. She glanced up at his face, which was looking around the room without interest. Today might be bearable after all, Xenalor thought. He acted more calm than the night before.

"All right, lets get moving Xenalor." He motioned for her to follow him into the hall.

She grimaced and walked out after him. So much for a bearable day. The first time he bothers using her name, and he looked as though it left a bad aftertaste in his mouth. "This is the library. You can usually find Zexion here, though I'm not sure why you would want to." Axel gestured unceremoniously at the tall door.

"Zexion?"

"Yeah, Number VI in the organization, has some hair flopped over his eye. Even though he's usually quiet, you can't miss him. Anyway, if you want to borrow a book, go ahead. Just bring it back in good time."

Xenalor noticed he didn't seem comfortable talking about Zexion, and she knew it wouldn't be wise to ask him about it, so she pressed on with a more urgent question.

"Um, is the kitchen close by?"

Axel smiled for a fleeting second before the look was replaced with one of disdain. "Yeah, I think Xaldin's on cooking duty this week. He's surprisingly not half bad." Instead of walking, Axel opened a dark portal for her. Xenalor wasn't going to complain about this method of speedy transportation.

The kitchen didn't prove to be much different from the rest of the castle. Plain, white, sterile . . . The most colorful things in the room were the other members. Perhaps even more colorful, was some of their language. Nearly all other twelve members were there, some arguing, others talking, and some eating in silence. For a group focused on a single goal, they didn't seem very organized to her. But who was she to judge interactions with others? Lenora was the one who had social interactions, not her.

"Don't even think about it." The female with blond hair said holding a fork with a link of sausage speared onto it at arms' reach. As the only other girl, it didn't surprise Xenalor that she was tough. What was surprising, however, was that her voice sounded sweet and childlike. Combined with the contrast of her words and expression, the effect was chilling.

"Come on, I dropped mine!" A boy no older than Xenalor whined, but didn't really fight for it. Apparently she wasn't the only one who thought the blond female shouldn't be pushed too far.

"So what?" The blond took a hearty bite out of the sausage. "It's your own fault for not snatching it when you had the chance. These are my seconds."

"It's not my fault," the boy argued. Xenalor was still watching them due to his hair. She couldn't think of a name for that mullet-mohawk style. Mull-hawk? "Xigbar pushed me."

"Blame Xaldin for that one." A man with an eyepatch and ponytail interrupted. "He's the one who pushed me."

"Maybe, Xigbar," A tall man whose back was facing them as he worked over the oven interrupted "You shouldn't have been sneaking around stealing bits of food."

Xigbar laughed by way of answer and continued eating. The fact that the man by the oven, the one with the long dreadlocks, was 'angry' while standing right next to the knives didn't phase him.

A man with short fair-hair and multiple piercings walked up to her. "Ah, the new one's here. My name is Luxord."

"Hi." Trying to not sound so rude she added, "Nice to meet you."

It seemed to have a fairly positive effect, as if he hadn't expected much more out of her.

Axel walked back over to her. "Grab a plate and sit down. Above the plates are glasses for a drink-I'm pretty sure you can figure the rest out."

Xenalor didn't respond, but grabbed her plate and poured herself a cup of coffee. Returning to the table, her choices for seating were limited. She quickly ruled out the seat next to Axel. It would be best to not antagonize him and let him get rid of her as fast as he was wanting to. Another seating option was next to the blond woman. This idea was also hastily discarded after her fork suddenly plunged, missing the mull- hawk boy's stealthy hand by a hair. Through the process of elimination, she chose the seat in-between the one with the mullet and another man who hadn't spoken. The boy with the mull-hawk was engaged in a conversation, and the silent one didn't look up as she sat down. His hair, an interesting shade of blue-silver, covered a single eye. According to Axel's description, however vague, this had to be Zexion.

After a few minutes of silence, the one with the mull-hawk looked over in surprise. "Oh! You're here."

Zexion let out a short breath. "She's been here for the past five minutes."

"Really? What were you sneaking around for?"

Xenalor blinked. "I wasn't exactly sneaking . . . "

"Hm," He looked thoughtful. "So, do you play any instruments?" Xenalor shook her head. He shrugged and diverted his attention to the remainder of his food, "Never mind then."

Xenalor stole a glance at Zexion. The grim look on his face assured her that he was always like this. It might have been comical, if the entire situation hadn't been so awkward.

"My name's Demyx, by the way." He added after a moment's pause.

"Nice to meet you." Xenalor offered. At the same time, a loud curse erupted from someone at the other end of the table.

"Perhaps you shouldn't play at the break of dawn." Luxord calmly shuffled a deck of cards with blinding accuracy as a seething Xigbar passed him munny over the table.

"Fair player my ass, more like-"

What he was more like would remain unknown. She felt a sharp jab on her on the shoulder. Spinning around, she saw Axel looking down at her nearly empty plate.

"Ready to go?" He asked.

Xenalor nodded and stood up.

"See ya later." Demyx smiled. She smiled back and gave him a small wave before being tugged not-too-kindly toward the sink by Axel. She placed her dishes in the open dishwasher and hurried after him.

**x-x-x-x-x-x**

The rest of the day trickled by slowly. Axel spoke and walked quickly, making it a challenge for Xenalor to keep pace and remember what he was saying. The rules and expectations of the Organization were basic enough, nothing she couldn't really figure out for herself. Don't kill the other members, don't be seen by anyone outside the Organization, and complete the missions assigned to you.

Safe, Secret, and Stoical was apparently an implied motto. Keep yourself and the Organization safe, your existence (or lack thereof) a secret to outsiders, and always remember feeling emotions was impossible.

Now that she wore the cloak, more details of the Organization's goal were made clear to her. Kingdom Hearts had the power to give them their hearts back, but the Keyblade Master thwarted their first attempt.

Axel pointed outside a window to an incomplete heart-shaped moon, "There it is, Kingdom Hearts."

It was rather beautiful, but Xenalor couldn't see how they planned on getting past the Keyblade Master this time. Her guide didn't leave her time to dwell on it, and Xenalor hastened after him.

"Since you're new, don't expect to go on any missions for a while. You're going to be training, not like it'll help any."

Xenalor ignored the jibe. "Training? With you?"

Axel snorted. "Not with me. Nah., whoever's in charge of you will come and get you. All you need to do is wait-that's the easy part. Just don't expect the same person every time. Each member contributes something unique to the Organization, so for a complete instruction you'll practice different styles." He studied her doubtfully. "Do you even have a weapon?"

"Yes, Xemnas checked before I came."

When she didn't give any more details, Axel pressed on with his teaching.

"Do you know how to make a dark portal?" Xenalor shook her head.

He rubbed his temples with a frown."Man oh man, you're greener than grass. Well, the sooner you learn it, the better. For both of us." He added as an afterthought.

Creating the portals turned out to be a remarkably easy task. With Axel's help, she got the hang of it with only a couple tries, and just a single mistake. Granted, the mistake got her on the opposite end in the castle than she desired, but that was irrelevant to the ending result.

"Think you can handle going to your room?" Axel asked after she finished weaving effortlessly through a series of dark passages she created on her own.

"Yes, thank you." She replied uncomfortably.

While Axel had gotten gradually less offensive, he had also grown more distant. The civility between them felt forced and unnatural. Any sane person, Xenalor was sure, would be glad that those alien green eyes stopped glaring a thousand daggers at her. But no, his frigid detachment from her was just as sharp. At least with his annoyance gave her the equivalence of mud. Now her existence was no more to him than air. It was almost laughable; she was nothing, even to a Nobody.

Axel wordlessly turned around and gave a short, final dismissal. "See ya."

She watched him leave without looking back. After a second's hesitation she reached out to the darkness herself. Seemed as good as time as any to retire for the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Axel walked through the corridor, humming a small tune to himself. Finally, he was finished with the girl. With the basics covered, anything else wasn't Axel's responsibility to provide. If she couldn't keep up with him that was her fault, not his. A good day's work; not quite lunchtime and he could already reap his rewarded R&R.

"How's the babysitting going for ya?"

If Axel had a heart, he might have jumped at the sudden voice by his ear.

"Don't get mad," Xigbar teased and patted him roughly on the back. "You were the best person for the job, what with your prior experience."

"Just following orders." Axel responded coolly before continuing on his way.

"You're good at that, aren't you?" Xigbar chuckled from behind him. "I just have to wonder, whose orders do you follow more faithfully: the Organization's or . . . your own?"

Axel came to a halt. His eyes narrowed. "And what does she have to do with me?"

"Quite ironic, isn't it? You must be trying hard to not make history repeat itself."

"Aren't we all?" Axel countered, turning to face him.

"Yes, we are." Xigbar appraised him thoughtfully."She is a lot like Roxas, isn't she? He was a puny little thing in the beginning too. I thought Xemnas had gone of his rocker."

Axel restrained himself from burning the old wisecracking man down, although he couldn't hold the comments personally against his senior. He had been expecting as much of a reaction from a fellow member. It was only a matter of time before anyone spoke of it openly.

When Axel didn't respond, Xigbar's serious face lightened. "Good luck. At least this one is less of a zombie, eh? Just don't get too friendly with her now. That trust will only hinder you again." Still laughing, he disappeared in a swirl of darkness.

Ridiculous, Axel thought. He didn't dislike Number XIII just because of her newfound home with the Organization. Even if it did belong to someone else, no matter if they were here or not. No, she was unquestioningly loyal to the Organization. Roxas soon questioned everything, curious behind every rule and the technicality. The less zombie-like he became, the more of an independent and free-willed person he grew.

Xenalor, however, appeared to be in it for reasons of her own. Her impersonal obedience showed she cared even less than some of the others about regaining a heart. This detached loyalty may prove to make her an asset to the Organization. Still, Axel thought scowling, there was something about that shadow of a future that he couldn't stand. If he had a heart, he would hate what she had the potential to become.

**x-x-x-x-x-x **

Zexion stopped in-front of the door where the scent of apples and mint was most pronounced. This wasn't a job he was looking forward to. He could think of a hundred other useful things he could be doing at that very moment. Instead, the Superior had charged him with the task of instructing the new Nobody. The similarities of their powers, Xemnas said, would make Zexion the most efficacious tutor in combat. Zexion could only hope that her power was stronger than what she herself appeared. His judgment of character was generally accurate, so to have her be anything less than what he hoped was insulting. At least she was easy enough to find, it-was the first place he had planned to look.

Zexion knocked briefly, and was met with an immediate response. He wasn't surprised Axel wasn't with her, she didn't require the constant attention or reminders that Roxas had. Nor had Axel seemed to enjoy her company much. In Zexion's mind, this alone put her in a more respectable light.

"My name is Zexion," He greeted when her face appeared. "I'm here to train you today." He noticed that she had already discarded the cloak, gloves, and boots in the comfort of her room.

She nodded. "One second, sorry." She gently shut the door and left Zexion waiting.

It didn't take long for her to hurry out, still zipping her cloak. Again, her hood was down, which was often rare for the newer members. She then stood patiently and waited for his instruction without complaint. Something Demyx, Zexion remembered, had not done during the single and painful time they trained together. The whole memory was enough to make Zexion envy the effects Castle Oblivion had on Sora. It also made him more forgiving toward the latest neophyte seeing as she displayed slight, but gratifying, characteristics opposite of Number IX.

"We're heading to Twilight Town. There have been sightings of plenty of heartless for you to practice on. I assume you must be fairly capable with your weapon, but today we'll focus on your element. Are you very familiar with it?"

"Yes."

"Before we head out there, show me what you can do with it." He watched her as she shifted.

A very faint high-pitched whistle sounded from beside him. If the room hadn't been completely silent, he may not have even heard it. Looking over, he saw the small stone structure of flowers crack in a wavelike pattern. Impressive, he thought, as he bent over to examine the damage done. Between the gashes were numerous chips and scratches, all bending at the same angle.

_"Do you know where I am?"_ Axel suddenly asked inside his head. He sounded just as mocking as always, with the same arrogant air that laced his voice whenever he spoke to someone he disliked.

Zexion looked sharply at the young woman, who returned his stare with a blank expression. Her eyes looked both at and beyond him, focusing on something out of sight.

_"Am I really in your head?"_ Axel chided, sounding as if he were holding back a grin.

_"Or am I someone else?"_ Luxord's voice laughed slightly.

Zexion felt a slight smirk form on the corners of his lips. "Ah," He said softly. "'Whisper of Delusions', very fitting."

"Thank you." Xenalor responded politely.

Letting her follow him into Twilight Town, he thought of this surprising element she possessed. The usage of sound waves had been very interesting, and would certainly help her survive, but it was the other part of her power that was fascinating. With the power to project differing voices into someone's mind, and enough practice with both using it and classifying people, she could easily become a crafty manipulator. She already proved to be observant; not only could she replicate voices, but their owner's personalities as well. It was a great alternative for someone who didn't look like they had the strength to even carry a couple of heavy grocery bags.

"What is your title?" She asked suddenly as soon as they arrived.

"The Cloaked Schemer." Zexion replied absentmindedly, his thoughts still preoccupied.

After another moment's hesitation, she asked another question with the same avidness. "Where exactly are we? I've never heard of Twilight Town before."

Zexion raised an eyebrow. "You're a curious thing, aren't you." He observed. Over the course of this session, he noticed she was starting to open up. "It's no small wonder you haven't heard of it. It is another world after all."

She paused. Zexion could almost hear the gears turning in her head. The idea of traveling to multiple worlds so easily didn't seem to occur to her.

He interrupted her thoughts in case she was planning to ask anything else. "I want you to use only those sound waves you showed me before and take out a set quantity of heartless. I can help you until you're ready to do it on your own. Once you've gotten the hang of it well enough, you'll advance onward to using your weapon with whichever member the Superior decides would be most beneficial to you. Any questions?"

She shook her head.

"Let's begin."

It didn't take long to discover their first couple heartless in the tram common. At Zexion's signal, Xenalor attacked, the sound rushing like wind between trees. It was difficult to use the strength of her power without destroying the civilian's buildings and roads in her path. With the help of Zexion's lexicon she managed to eliminate multiple heartless simultaneously in a short amount of time. She soon discovered it was easy to stun them with a sound, then follow up with a swift attack. Zexion didn't once object to helping her, so long as she continued the drill with every heartless before he stepped in.

"Not bad." He dismissed his lexicon after the last batch of heartless had been wiped out. Xenalor was panting slightly, but still waiting for command. "We've passed the goal by five heartless, so I think that's enough for today."

As they passed through the portal Zexion created, he was pleased with today's outcomes. Her power alone might not be much of a threat, but it could be used effectively. Not only that, but Xenalor wasn't sour with being instructed, nor did she object to the extra practice. He wouldn't call her a perfectionist just yet, but he could truthfully say she didn't complain about being thorough when it counted.

**x-x-x-x-x-x **

Xenalor all but collapsed on her bed upon returning. She couldn't help but procrastinate with what Zexion told her was her 'Journal.' She was supposed to write in it every so often, but she didn't know what to write. She couldn't recall her Somebody keeping any sort of diary, so she decided it was justly fitting that she wouldn't be 'thrilled' about keeping one either.

The thing that stuck out to her most despite her single night and day here was how such people could live in such a colorless place. Xenalor assumed that the Nobodies in the castle would reflect their own emptiness, just as the castle mirrored a world made of nothing. Rather, all she had seen in them was surprising variety.

She traced her finger down the spine of the blue notebook. If she had a heart, she mused, could she feel lonely?

She grimaced at herself and tossed the book onto her bed. She would take a shower, and just keep a log of what happened during her training, and of the heartless she saw. That was all the Organization could expect of such a thing as writing in a "Journal". Because she could honestly say that she didn't feel lonely. She didn't need someone there with her to talk with and hold her hand.

And she could just as honestly say that because that was all clearly true, it left behind something hollow and cold. A 'feeling' not even bitter or hopeless. Just simply nothing.

For the first time since she had been "reborn", she found herself thinking about the possibility of a heart.


	4. Chapter 4

_Xenalor stood in a balcony facing a garden. She looked down below at the wild mess of unattended__ plants, climbing over an old stone gate. The vines and leaves overran each other, making the multiple__ plants look like a single odd shrub. Something about them seemed beautiful. She didn't want to go__ through the door, inside the mansion. She wanted to watch the sun set over the stone gate forever._

_A faint dripping noise caught her attention. On the wall of the mansion were rows of potted plants, most__ of them dead or dying. A single hanging plant, the only one in bloom, was filled too full with water. It__ leaked from the bottom and into a puddle below. A flower petal floated atop the water, gently gliding__ over each ripple._

_That doesn't make sense, Xenalor thought. All the plants were flowerless and old. There was no place__ for the petal to have come from. She doubted someone put it there. This place couldn't be visited very__ often. It was as if it appeared out of thin air._

_She reached down to pick it up, and that was when she finally noticed._

_The reflection wasn't her-she wasn't Xenalor. It was the reflection of a child. That was no reason to__ scream. The short dark or the dress that didn't reflect Xenalor's cloak didn't matter. The small body,_  
_the tiny hands, those were all human. But not the face. Not this stretched pale skin over where she__ should have eyes, a nose, and a mouth. This thing that mimicked Xenalor's every move wasn't human__ or Nobody._

_That was the first time Xenalor ever screamed. She screamed long and loud, feeling a fear she wasn't__ supposed to feel. The girl's cheeks crinkled, as if it would be smiling if it had a mouth._

_Xenalor, heart or no heart, hated her._

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

Xenalor bolted up, so quickly her head swam. She blinked in the darkness, trying to peer through it. Looking for the monster that she already knew wouldn't be there. Habitually, a hand clenched the area where her heart should have been.

Once satisfied that it was only a dream, she wiped cold sweat from her brow. After a few deep breaths, the false sensation of fear subsided as just a fleeting memory of a Somebody's emotion.

_Did she really scream?_ Xenalor wondered. She hoped not; they all thought of her as weak already. The Organization might have been a general enigma to her, but their opinions of her were loud and clear. Worst of all, they were accurate. Xenalor wasn't prepared to add insensible nightmares onto the list. _Nobodies can't feel_. She reminded herself. They weren't supposed to have nightmares. Or wake up in cold sweat, clenching the silent place where a heart should be throbbing manically.

Xenalor looked over at the small digital clock given to her. It was already five in the morning. She wanted to go back to sleep, but the small amount of rest wasn't worth the effort.

She moved at a slow pace, figuring she had plenty of time to eat. Today, she tied her hair back into low-set pigtails at the back of her neck. A few strands of hair in the front were too short to be pulled back, but Xenalor didn't care so long as they wouldn't get in her way during training. Fighting with her element wasn't difficult for her, but she didn't want to be constantly pushing hair away from her face if the training grew any more complex.

Xenalor looked in the mirror, raising her hands to her hair. She suppressed a shudder and decided she'd do whatever it took to keep it long. The only short hair she could picture for herself at the moment was from what she stayed awake to avoid.

It didn't take as long as she hoped to stretch out her morning routine. She decided against cleaning her room. The messy bed and sprawled articles of clothing made the mocking blankness of the room livable. She finally went through the door, killing time by walking down to the kitchen.

The sound of footsteps made her look up, where a figure was walking at a brisk pace. Long blond hair fell over his shoulders as he bowed his head in deep thought. Coming closer, Xenalor could tell that he was an older member of the Organization, and a bit of a strange one as well.

"Hm, yes, that could work . . . but . . . " He muttered to himself.

His eyes shot up as Xenalor attempted to pass by silently.

"Ah, the new fledgling." He confirmed more to himself than her. "My name is Vexen. I am number IV of the Organization."

Xenalor copied his slight bow. Was she expected to introduce herself that way? She didn't think she could really match his pompous tone or self-satisfied smile.

He looked her over in disapproval in the momentary silence and reasserted himself. "So, I hear you have the power over sound. Very . . . intriguing. I wonder if perhaps you could show me how that works?"

"Still tinkering with experiments, Vexy?" A voice mocked. Xenalor turned to find the female standing with her hands on her hips and a harsh smile spread across her features.

Vexen stiffened. "You're up rather early, Number XII. As a superior member of this Organization I demand that you address me-"

"I do have a name."She chastised lightly, shaking her finger at him. "Anyway, I would have thought that you'd learn not to piss your betters off."

Vexen nearly choked on the air. "My betters? I hardly think that would include you, Larxene." His face turned sour with the use of her name, as though it left a bad taste on his tongue.

Larxene pouted dramatically. "Don't be like that. I can't help it that you're too weak to take down a fly-"

"If I recall correctly, Sora easily saw to your demise."

Larxene's hands literally sparked at that comment. The seemingly blithe banter disappeared completely. "And you, old man, were too busy rambling to even notice that Axel was about to_ torch_ you!"

Xenalor felt that now would be a good time to leave. Curiosity didn't have to go hand-in-hand with stupidity. She began to walk away, itching to distance herself as far from the conflict as possible.

"Which would have never happened had you not been so stupid as to attempt to-"

His voice cut off when a knife shot past his ear, missing him by millimeters.

"You still keep saying too much for your own good." Larxene snarled. Her eyes flashed dangerously at the elder member.

Vexen glanced at Xenalor, who had nearly managed to make it to the door undetected, and swallowed his pride. "Yes, well," He coughed delicately. "I suppose I shall be seeing you later then, Number XIII."

Xenalor nodded dumbly and watched him continue without a further look at Larxene, who in turn payed him no mind.

After he left, Larxene looked at Xenalor with a glint in her eyes. "So, you're the newbie. Just do me a favor and pull your own weight. I don't want to wind up working for two. Au Revoir." She waved her hand and disappeared in darkness, leaving behind a confused and frustrated Xenalor.

Was anyone around here going to at least wait for her to get to say goodbye too?

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

"What a spectacle." Xenalor turned her head toward the table to see Luxord staring at Demyx with open distaste.

"Mmf rery hngrr!" Demyx responded emphatically through a mouthful of waffles.

Luxord rolled his eyes. "Come again?"

Demyx swallowed with difficulty. "I'm really hungry!" he repeated, oblivious to a stain of syrup on his chin.

Xenalor made herself breakfast from a box of cereal she found abandoned on the counter. She glanced up to find Demyx eating as though he had been starved for the past few days. Luxord had already left out of disgust.

"So how was your first day?" Demyx asked after a moment's pause.

Xenalor shrugged and seated herself across from him. "It was okay."

Demyx frowned slightly and nodded before tapping his fingers against the table in a concentrated rhythm. Xenalor listened to the small repetitive beat in a peaceful silence. There wasn't much more for her to say about the day before. From what she could assume, it was all basic stuff that would just be mundane for him to hear.

"And the castle?"

Xenalor blinked and looked up, her mind still focused on the day before. "Sorry?"

"What do you think of the castle?" He spoke slowly, watching her over his empty plate.

The answer slipped out of her mouth before she could think. "A brick wall looks more interesting."

To her surprise, Demyx laughed. "Hey, you're not all that bad. I was starting to think you were just another boring, _'I'm gonna act like an ass cuz I can't feel guilty about it'_ member."

Xenalor figured this odd comment was meant as a compliment, even if she wasn't flattered.

"Morning." The door opened and Zexion walked in with a large man. Both were engaged in a deep discussion, broken by Demyx's interruption.

The large man gave a polite nod and Zexion said a short hello before they resumed their conversation.

"Vexen mentioned conducting a new series of experiments. Whatever it is he's so interested in, it's been on his mind for a while now." She heard Zexion say as he grabbed tea bags from the cupboard.

The large man spoke in a deep voice. "He hasn't had anything new to test lately. This could be good for him."

The two men either didn't notice or didn't care that they treated Vexen's new inspiration the same way a parent pacifies a child with a new toy. Xenalor remembered Larxene's words and had a sinking sensation that she knew just what Vexen wanted.

"Lexaeus, you're going on that mission in Agrabah, right?" Demyx asked.

"Yes, why?"

Demyx groaned dramatically. "It's so hot out there."

"It is a desert." Zexion pointed out.

"Still," Demyx shook his head. "Better you than me."

Lexaeus and Zexion exchanged a look that clearly showed their agreement. Demyx, oblivious to their silent assent, struck a conversation with Xenalor telling her about Agrabah. All she could picture from his description was, as Zexion had put it, a desert. Heat, sand, sun, and more sand. What did interest her was what Demyx called the "Cave of Wonders."

"What is that?" She asked, interrupting him as he began to rant on how 'pointless it is for a desert to exist in the universe.'

He gave her a very puzzled look. "The universe?"

"No, I mean what is this . . . 'Cave of Wonders'?"

"Oh, that." He laughed. "It's just some creepy looking cave that has treasure deep inside it."

Noting the dumbfounded look on her face, he added, "It's great for anyone else who finds it and all, but useless for us. Besides, taking anything is interfering with the world. Doesn't help that it's chocked full of switches and puzzles either, let alone all the heartless."

She was about to ask why it was interfering when no one was bound to notice when a portal opened. A man with shoulder-length blue hair, steady cold eyes, and a scar across his face stepped forward.

"Number XIII, it is time to go on your mission."

Demyx winced sympathetically. "It was nice knowing you."

Zexion barely avoided rolling his eyes. "I believe I heard Vexen mention doing Recon with you today."

"Yes, sometime today would be nice." The man who was retrieving her said in a clipped tone.

Xenalor nodded and walked through the portal he made. She stepped into a room with a wall of glass windows, giving a perfect view of Kingdom Hearts looming amid the night sky. The room possessed two small seating areas on each side of it; the couches and small tables stark white. As Zexion had predicted, Vexen was waiting, resting comfortably on an armchair flipping through a thick notebook in deep concentration.

"Number IV, Number XIII," Vexen looked up as the man began. "You are to conduct reconnaissance today. We have sighted multiple possessors in the area. The Superior expects a full report, including an update on Number XIII's progress."

"Very well." Vexen said, snapping his notebook shut.

A portal formed beside him. "Come along then."

_**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**_

_**Fixed a mistake...I accidentally had bowl instead of box when I described Xenalor making breakfast. I was thinking she poured it into a bowl, but when I typed it I accidentally made it sound like she stole someone's left-over cereal...xD  
**_


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

**Authors note: I have some "book titles" I made up (as quickly as I could) in this chapter. I tried to keep the names pretty basic and self-explanatory. If I accidentally stole a title that already exists, I don't own it. Any similarities between them is a honest mistake. If it's an issue, I don't mind changing it to something else. Besides, most of what I wrote down are things I wouldn't be interested in reading so . . . yeah, I wouldn't know anything about them. **

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

An earsplitting crash greeted them on the other side. Vexen and Xenalor both stared in the direction of the sound as shouts echoed past the other end of the wooden door.

"Look at what you did, you klutz." One voice sneered.

"This isn't fair! Why do we get stuck doing all the chores while _she _gets to live a romantic life with the prince?"

The sound of breaking glass made Xenalor cringe.

"Do you have to break everything you touch Anastasia?" The first voice sneered. "Even if the shoe did fit its not like any prince would ever fall for you-"

"Take it back!" The other girl shrieked in rage.

Other incomprehensible shrieks accompanied a loud yell of pain. Xenalor and Vexen both stared at the door in shock.

"You don't think they're actually going to murder each other do you?" Xenalor asked a low voice as another crash sounded.

Before he could answer, an older woman's voice came from behind them. "Girls!"

Quickly yanking Xenalor into a cover of darkness, they watched closely as a gray-haired woman walked calmly inside. Trailing behind her was a fat, sour-faced cat.

Vexen quickly led her away through the door where the woman came from. The bickering faded as they snuck up a flight of old, stone stairs.

"Why did we leave?" Xenalor asked. "Aren't we supposed to find out about this world?"

"Without being seen." He pointed out. "Besides, I believe I learned valuable information before we began investigating our surroundings. Tell me, what could you make of the argument?"

Xenalor was taken aback. It seemed obvious enough to her. "Uh, they didn't get along."

"Yes, obviously. But why?" He prompted, clearly exasperated.

"Well," She started, still unsure of what he was expecting. "They're clumsy, or at least one of them is and . . . uh . . . it sounded like they're jealous of someone who got to marry a prince. They don't sound like they're used to cleaning . . . and the woman seemed used to them fighting."

"Better." Vexen nodded. "Is there anything else you could catch?"

She racked her brains, trying to remember the argument that seemed a little hazy in comparison to all the breaking objects. "One of them is named Anastasia. And I didn't really get the bit about a shoe fitting-"

"Exactly."

Xenalor blinked. "Come again?"

"The saying 'if the shoe fits,' seemed out of place in the context. The prince and this shoe must somehow be related."

"But how?"

"If it's not important to this world, then there's no need to learn it. At least, not today. Our mission is to give a description of the world and the state it's in. Along with any heartless sightings."

Xenalor nodded. "So what should we do now?"

"Scope the area; tell me about what you see in the shortest amount of time. Above all-_you must not be seen!_"

They wandered around the grand, yet filthy, house. The dwellers had expensive taste, but the mouse holes in the corners and filthy, gloomy atmosphere suggested a more inadequate reality. They were unable to go through every room, but they managed to sneak into the bedrooms that portrayed the essence of vanity. Unlike the other rooms, the bedrooms were in much better condition. Strikingly so were the large mirror that stood as the main focal point of the center in each.

Touring with Vexen didn't have a brighter outlook. Her descriptions were rarely satisfying enough to meet his full approval. Even when they were, he heavily implied-as in he outright bragged-that his insight was far superior. She felt frustrated despite lacking a heart to feel anything.

Finally, they came to a halt. "I believe we have a sufficient amount of data for now. I need to get back to my lab . . . "

"Time to RTC?"

He created a portal beside him by way of answer, still digesting what they had viewed in his mind. She gratefully stepped through it.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

Frowning, Xenalor ripped apart the kitchen to find something edible that she could actually cook. Whether her inability to do more than boil water was a gap in her memory or sheer ignorance in the culinary arts, she didn't know. She finally settled on a cup of instant noodles, following the directions carefully. As it heated in the microwave, the sound of a dark corridor opening hissed behind her. Axel strode to the fridge unaware that he wasn't alone in the room. The microwave beeped loudly, startling him.

"Didn't see you there." He remarked.

"Hello," She replied somewhat stiffly.

Unsure of what else to say, she poked the clump noodles experimentally with a fork. It floated at her touch in a single, large mass.

She could feel him watching her as she scanned the directions again. She did everything right . . .

She stuffed the noodles back into the microwave before finally turning around. He looked amused but said nothing when he turned back toward the fridge, grabbing supplies. A few moments of silence passed. After viewing her failed attempt at food for a second time, Xenalor glanced at Axel's sandwich. Why didn't she think of something as simple as that? Then again, instant noodles aren't supposed to be a challenge.

The offending food made a satisfying sound as it collided with the trash.

Axel glanced up to see her putting together a sandwich. "Noodles didn't work out?"

"No." She answered coolly.

A dark portal opened on the other side of the room.

"I hear we have a vacation coming up." Xigbar announced in grandiose tones, grinning widely as he approached the two.

"It's about time-I thought we were never going to get a break."

Xenalor watched the two men over her sandwich as they reveled in the promise of a vacation. Their mannerisms were strikingly similar, she noticed.

Turning to her Xigbar asked, "What do you think tyke?"

"Tyke?"

He laughed. "Yeah, you seem like a sweet kid. If anything, you need to get a bit rougher-grow some muscle. Anyway, you're lucky to get a vacation so early, newbie."

Xenalor smiled to herself. From the sound of it, vacations must not happen often.

"That means we can sleep in, right?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Sleep in, go to a different world-all up to you. Though I guess if you really want to work, no one's stopping you." Xigbar answered. "Why? Got any plans?"

She shook her head. "Not really. I was just wondering."

"Well maybe you'll find something to do by then. Actually, there are some members gathering for a movie-night."

"Anything good?" Axel asked.

Xigbar shrugged. "Last I heard they were still fighting about watching a slasher or an action flick. You can pretty much get both of those in one movie, but whatever. The kids need something to keep 'em fired up, but I digress. I need to get moving. Bye for now."

After he left, Axel departed as well. There really wasn't anything to do for a whole day, and spending it all in her room was a bit too antisocial and dull for her taste. A movie did sound fun, and Xigbar did invite her. Firming her resolve, she decided to go. Who would, or even could, care if she changed her mind and left halfway through?

However, now was not the time to worry about an unplanned future date. There had to be something to do right then and there.

She chewed her sandwich slowly, and wished she had another small mission to do that day. It would offer some new scenery at the very least. Finally, she decided the most interesting place she could pay a visit to was the library. Axel had shown it to her, however briefly, once already. It was one of the easier rooms to find in the castle.

The plate of crumbs was set aside for the Dusks to clean. Xenalor walked confidently through the corridor of darkness and faced the large pair of doors on the other side. Pushing them open, tall towers of books came into view. A bit stunned at the massive amount, she wove her way through the rows, skimming past titles of every subject from Nonfiction to Fiction.

_Fundamentals of Chemistry, The Art of the Human Biological Body, True and False Memories, The Wars of Old, Short Stories of Horror, Is the Paranormal Normal?, Dictionary of Flowers and Herbs, Make Melt-In-Your-Mouth Chocolates, The Queens of Ice and Snow . . . _

"So," A voice spoke suddenly, startling her. "You found your way here already?"

Xenalor looked over to see Larxene lounging on a couch with a half-open book propped in front of her.

_Marquis De Sade_

"Hi." She said, a knee-jerk reaction.

"How boring." The blond said more to herself than Xenalor.

Xenalor frowned and turned away. She really didn't want rude comments she didn't deserve ruin her day. She just wanted to curl up with a good piece of literature and let the minutes tick by.

Larxene spoke up again with renewed vigor. "What do you think so far of the Castle?"

Xenalor paused for a fraction of a second, unsure of whether or not it was a trick question.

"It's not so bad." She said finally.

Larxene raised her eyebrows. "Really? You don't find it blah and bland in the least?"

The more honest route was probably best. Somehow, the other woman didn't give Xenalor the impression of being the kind to report any negative comments. "It is a bit of a bore." She admitted.

Larxene smiled. "Finally, a non-mechanical response." Setting her book aside, she focused more attention on the new member. "It's about time we had another girl. Being the sole female is such a drag."

"You finished your mission already?" the senior member pressed without a pause.

"Yeah, there wasn't too much reconnaissance for me and Vexen to do."

Larxene studied her critically. "There is hope that you won't be a total invalid after all. Compared to Demyx that doesn't take much." She added thoughtfully.

Xenalor didn't have much to respond with to that statement and instead made a quick goodbye so she could finally pick out a book. She grabbed one of the first books she saw before retiring to her room, noticing that Larxene threw fleeting glances in her direction.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**_  
**Sorry for the extra note:**

**If you're interested, I added some mini-facts about the creation of this fic and so on in my profile. Feel free to ask me questions about the characters, plot, whatever. If I can answer it without spoiling the story, I'll post it there. If I can't answer it, I'll let you know that I'm grateful for your open interest anyway. **  
**Or, ask me questions about myself-though I think that you readers would be more interested in the psyche of my characters.**


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Xenalor chewed her lip and stared at the blank page in front of her. What on earth was she supposed to write in a Journal? Despite all that had happened to her as a Nobody, she couldn't think of anything worthwhile to say. For all the days she had been here, she simply repeated her actions over and over. Missions, meals, read, sleep . . . always the same routine. With a deep scowl, she considered ripping apart the whole journal and setting it ablaze. There apparently _was_ a reason she couldn't remember Lenora owning a diary.

_I trained with Saïx today, but we continued to focus solely on my element just like almost all of my other missions have. He's a very aloof character; I can never tell what he's really thinking. Unlike the other members, he doesn't act as though he can feel even a fragment of emotion. His entire being, or lack there of, is either well guarded or very stagnant. Though they may only be memories of emotions, the imitations the rest of the Organization give are convincing illusions. I can't imagine Saïx acting emotional, even in sarcasm. He only acts out when provoked, which isn't surprising since he is the one who's issued all our missions._

_Aside from training with my element, I've learned how to do some magic, such as fire and blizzard. While scouting for heartless in the same world I went to with Vexen for recon, I found those to both be very useful. Still, a mission of combat is rare and I'm never given a solo assignment. Even if only to collect more details about a place. _

_The additional recon hasn't been of much interest. The inhabitants are still the same as before, always bickering. I haven't seen the older lady again, but I believe she is the one the girls refer to as "mother"._

Xenalor closed the Journal and tossed it aside. That should be enough writing to last a while. Frankly, there wasn't any more to be said.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

Demyx lounged in a chair and strummed his Sitar in tune with the band blaring through the television set. He couldn't find the inspiration he needed to create a song. Each time he picked up his Sitar his mind went blank. Playing anything he created lately seemed less and less satisfying.

The band's lead guitar drowned out the sound of the vocalist. Strumming his fingers mechanically, Demyx contributed a few notes of his own. By the climax of the chorus, Demyx composed a complicated harmony to blend with the main melody of the song.

"Would you please keep that noise down? Some of us are trying to do something useful."

Demyx frowned and brought the music to a halt. He turned to face his senior member.

"Come on Saïx, I think I'm getting onto something here."

Saïx's lip curled. "You're only playing along with another band. One that has a heart to put into his music. Now, keep that noise down before I break your fingers."

Not needing to hear a confirmation, he left the fuming Number IX.

Demyx stuck out his tongue at the empty space where Saïx stood, but didn't pick up his Sitar. If he had a heart, he could have created his own song. He could find the inspiration, and he could have truly felt satisfied.

He unconsciously made a mental note of each note played in the song on the television. Pursing his lips, he thought about the new Number XIII. No other member took his music seriously, but her element was sound. How could you have the element of sound and not like music?

He smiled to himself. He knew Axel helped Roxas because they were "friends". Maybe if he befriended her, she could even shoulder part of his workload. It seemed a fair exchange, if not spoken aloud in so many words.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

"Good news guppy." Xigbar greeted as she walked into the lobby the next morning.

Xenalor glanced at Demyx who stood with the face of a child on Christmas morning. "What is it?" She asked with curiosity.

"Look for yourself." He moved aside.

Xenalor squinted at the piece of paper taped on the glass.

_Operations cancelled for Vacation._

"Finally. I was so sick of all that work." Demyx complained.

Xigbar raised his brow. "What work? It's not like you actually do anything."

Demyx pouted. "I do so! I work my butt off all the time."

"It's your first vacation, right?" Xigbar asked Xenalor, already bored of Demyx's antics.

"Yeah." Xenalor said with a nod.

"Don't ignore me!" Demyx piped, still upset from the insult.

Xigbar walked past her and patted her shoulder. "Well, have fun with it kiddo." He said before stepping into darkness, leaving behind the indignant Demyx.

"Hey." Demyx whined at the closing corridor.

He heaved a sigh and drooped his shoulders. "He always does that. Just says whatever's on his mind and leaves."

"I think he's nice."

Demyx snorted. "He's friendly, but I dunno about 'nice.'"

"Aren't they the same?" Xenalor asked in bemusement.

He watched her, his eyes becoming uncharacteristically serious. "Not always." He shook his head and smiled animatedly. "You should see the movie tonight; we're starting it at nine."

Xenalor couldn't help but smile at his abrupt enthusiasm. "Sounds like fun."

She thought back to her conversations of the bleakness of the castle. "What do you like to do for fun around here?" She asked. "Other than watch movies I mean."

"Play my Sitar." He responded automatically. He laughed at her confused expression, already knowing what she would ask.

"This," He began, raising his hand high above his head, "is a Sitar."

Xenalor watched in awe as the air around his hand gathered with energy. Within a moment, a large instrument materialized into being.

"Is it…like a guitar?" She asked, pointing to the three strings running along the neck of the Sitar.

"Yeah, I guess." He strummed a few notes easily. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Demyx suddenly twirled the instrument above his head, as if it weighed nothing. He swung it back down in front of him and began to play a song, his body rocking with the tempo of the music. The song was upbeat, and even rather quirky. Even for a song with only a single instrument being used, it was an intricate mixture of humor and compositional complexity.

At the last notes, He grinned and posed impressively. His posture shifted to sheepish as he listened to Xenalor's enthusiastic applause.

"Did you make that up yourself?" She asked.

"Yeah, that was just something I made a while back. It was a song by my other actually."

"Your other, huh?" Xenalor mused. As far as she knew, Lenora didn't even try an instrument. The hazy details of her past life frustrated Xenalor. If she didn't know what her other liked to do, then how could she know what she liked to do? Reading was something they had in common, but what else? Xenalor enjoyed the activity, but there had to be at least one more interest to keep her awake in this non-existence.

"What are you gonna do with the time off?" Demyx interrupted her thoughts, blithely unaware of the sudden change in atmosphere.

Xenalor racked her brains for an answer, ignoring the stabbing sensation she felt when she found only empty ideas.

"Nothing?" Demyx guessed, still with a cheerful tone. "Let's go out to the Dark City then."

"The Dark City?" She repeated, sounding lost.

"Don't tell me you don't even know about the city around the castle!" He exclaimed. "Well, come on. Let's go take a walk."

"I thought we weren't suppose to leave the castle-"

"Oh poop." He gestured dramatically with his hands. "Besides, this is still in the same world so there's nothing to worry about."

Before Xenalor could open her mouth, he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the darkness.

"You've got to loosen up a little."

Xenalor smiled wryly at the irony of that comment.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

Axel walked down a random hallway at a steady pace, stretching his arms until he could hear his shoulders pop. His stiff muscles immediately relaxed with the simple action.

His stride came to an ungraceful halt when Demyx plunged past him, narrowly avoiding a painful collision. The pause, however, proved to be pointless.

In a whirl of black, another figure fell into him at full speed.

"Gah-" The second figure yelped as the two fell on the ground.

"What the hell?" Axel managed to ask, the breath knocked mercilessly from his lungs.

"S-sorry!" She stumbled over her words.

Wait, Axel tried to ignore the massive pounding in his brain. She?

The weight on his chest suddenly lifted. He gripped the back of his head in one hand, and pulled himself up with the other-stopping an inch away from none other than the new Number XIII. Still half sitting on his legs, they stared at one another in mutual horror. Both felt too numb with shock to even blink.

The silence was broken by obnoxious laughter. "That was great, Xenalor!" Demyx whooped, doubled over in his own glee. "And I still won the race."

The sound of her name seemed to snap the girl back into reality. She pushed herself off of Axel in a frenzy. Underneath the curtain of black hair she pulled over her face, the skin burned bright red.

Axel forced himself to stand, ignoring the newfound pain in various parts of his body. "What race?" He snapped.

"We toured the Dark City for a while and then we decided to race." Demyx spoke slowly, as if to a stupid child.

Turning to Xenalor, Demyx added, "That means I win the bet too."

Axel didn't think the girl's head could incline much further. He should have known it was something stupid that only Demyx could think of.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He turned only to have Demyx step out in front of him.

If he had a heart, Axel's would have sunk at the sight of the mischievous smile twisting the blonde's lips.

"Okay Xenalor, I have an idea for your end of the bet." Demyx watched the two other members look at each other nervously. His smug smile widened at the sight of his comrades' growing dread.

"You have to take that next mission I have. The one Axel and I were supposed to go on."

"Oh, hell no!" Axel interrupted the girl's protests. "I don't know about her, but I know _you _can fight at least a little bit."

Demyx looked at Axel innocently, unable to hide the triumphant smirk spreading across his face. "Practice makes perfect." He reasoned.

Before Axel could open his mouth, Xenalor spoke herself. "Demyx," She began with a calm assurance. "I don't think Saïx would like that."

"Exactly!" Axel agreed.

Demyx, however, was not so easily deterred. "It was just a simple mission so he won't care. Besides, I saw on the mission log that you needed to start practicing with your weapon anyway. Perfect timing, am I right?"

He turned his heel and left the two to stare after him, slack-jawed.

"Perfect." Axel growled under his breath. "A girl who can't even use her weapon is going to help me fight the heartless." He turned to the frowning Xenalor. "Let's just go see Saïx and fix this mess."

He watched her face grow more and more concerned. "What's the matter?" He asked with a deadpanned tone.

"He was looking for another mission for me. Xaldin told us while we were out walking." She admitted sourly. Xenalor then raised her grey eyes at him, something growing in them that took Axel by surprise. "I can use my weapon. They just haven't started officially training me with it yet."

"So you can't use it well?" Axel pointed out, beginning to feel desperate.

She shrugged, breaking eye contact with him. "I don't know. It's as if they're just not as interested in it."

Axel frowned to himself, and turned away from the girl's curious gaze. What exactly did they plan on using this girl for? Was there more of a purpose than just an extra member to raise the odds?

He shoved the thoughts from his mind. Grudgingly, he had to admit she was right about one thing: If Saïx was digging for a good training opportunity he wouldn't change this arrangement. Even if he did, Demyx would probably act like more of a pain in the ass than usual out of sheer spite.

It felt like a stone dropped inside his stomach. He wasn't even a part of their idiotic bet and yet he managed to get the losing end. Not only did he have to spend more time babysitting the girl he thought he was done with, but now he was doing it in Demyx's place. What was more, it was under Demyx's command.

He patted her genially on the shoulder and gave an overly-optimistic smile. "At least we're screwed together."

_**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**_

**Another sort of mostly dialogue chapter, but this one sets up the stage for some action and plot. The next one should be more exciting. I would have added some fighting with the heartless or something while in the Dark City, but I didn't think that fit very well. It didn't mesh with Demyx's fun-only plans, and it doesn't strike me as what he would consider fun. If it were another member, then it might have been a different story.  
**

**I think it's called the Dark City...if not the internet lied to me. (0.o)  
**

**On a side note, sorry if this chapter took a while to crank out. I was MIA for a few days while on vacation. No pressing need for me to pay extra for internet so I didn't even bother with my laptop.**

**Chapter Seven should be up shortly-thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

_**Sorry this chapter took -a lot- longer to post than I thought. I just kept thinking of stuff to add or changing scenes altogether….hehe…^^' . On the bright side, this chapter is longer than I originally planned!  
-I don't know if this will send a duplicate Email to anyone who subscribed, but if it does...sorry. I needed to fix the couple of mistakes I just found (though I'm sure there's more). My eye began twitching melodramatically. Nothing about this chapter changed except for some grammar/spelling issues.  
**_

_**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-**_

Xenalor silently followed Axel through the hallways. He agreed to show her the sitting room only because that was his destination in the first place. The awkward feeling in the atmosphere was thick enough to be considered suffocating. Axel didn't seem to notice the tension, though Xenalor was sure it was simply an act. Not even a male could be that blind to their surroundings.

She frowned. Where did that sort of saying come from? Was it something that Lenora would have thought? It was a bitter sense of humor at best.

"This is the room we're going to be in tonight." Axel interrupted her thoughts, gesturing with false bravo at a large door that rose to the ceiling. "Memorize it if you want to watch the film tonight."

Xenalor nodded and stared at the door with ferocious intensity, burning the image into her retinas. Watching with his arms folded across his chest, Axel smirked.

"More than one door looks like this, you know."

She dropped her gaze, unwilling to show her embarrassment. The fatal tumble from moments earlier left a creeping sensation along her spine. He surprised her by not making any wisecracks about it at her expense, though she supposed that was simply because he was trying as hard as she was to forget it. He wordlessly held the door open for her, just wide enough for her to view the other side.

The room was currently empty, but it was by far one of the coziest rooms in the castle. Remnants of a past occupant lingered, a half-eaten bag of potato chips on a large coffee table served as the evidence. Plush furnishings were scattered around the room. A large entertainment center served as the main focal point, impossible to escape notice. Though it was still mostly lacking in color like the rest of the castle, it reminded Xenalor of the library. Both rooms radiated the most warmth.

Axel followed her gaze. "There, now you can just portal right inside." He stated matter-of-factly. She could hear the amusement of his voice as he added, "Saïx isn't going to be happy about that mess."

"I'm not." Another voice said flatly from behind them, causing Xenalor to jump violently.

Axel stiffened beside her in surprise, but quickly regained his composure. "Hey Saïx," He greeted familiarly. "Do you have to pop out like that all the time?"

Saïx ignored the question. "Who left the mess this time?" He asked, a trace of annoyance in his voice. "Was it Xigbar again? Or perhaps Luxord?"

"Dunno, we just got here." Axel shrugged. "You coming down for the movie tonight?"

Saïx stared fixedly at him with a cold, cynical gaze. "What do you think?" He questioned in return before continuing on his way.

Xenalor looked up to find her ex-mentor smirking to himself as he watched Saïx's retreating figure. The poisonous gleam in his eyes caught her off guard and she watched his face unabashedly. She didn't need three tries to guess that his invitation was anything but inviting. Despite how she knew she should react, his open hostility did peak her interest.

Not many seemed to like Saïx, but no one went out their way to annoy him either. Though he was only Number VII, he held a lot of power: a fact proved by him being the one to allocate the missions. Xenalor had yet to hear another member talk back to him. Even Vexen, a proud higher-ranking member, regarded him with respect. The only rude remarks made were from behind Saïx's back-safely out of his hearing range.

Axel tore his gaze from Saïx's back and noticed Xenalor watching him intently.

"What?" He asked, sounding slightly defensive.

She shook her head. "Nothing." She forced a small smile in response to his guarded expression. "I was just wondering if there were any other interesting rooms, besides here and the library."

Accepting the hasty lie, Axel scratched the back of his head. "Well," He began, unsure how to reply. "There is a training room."

"Training room." Xenalor repeated to herself. It certainly didn't sound like fun to her, but it could be useful.

"It's getting late," He stated brusquely, walking past her into the room. He stretched out on a couch with his hands folded beneath his head. "Why don't you ask Demyx to show you?"

"Sure." Xenalor mumbled and walked away. Not that she would, she decided adamantly. She didn't regard Demyx highly at the moment.

That's unfair, she argued with herself. She agreed to the vague bet as much as he did. Her upcoming mission was only the mere consequence of underestimating his agility due to his size. Not that Demyx was particularly large, but Xenalor did impulsively think of herself as the more nimble one.

She pursed her lips, thinking disapprovingly of her own assumptions. It was compensation, perhaps, for knowing she was a horrid fighter. She believed she paled in comparison to the others she had seen. Her element of sound, her stronger attribute, always fell a step behind in battle.

Still, she couldn't help but refuse to ask Demyx for help. Instead, she flicked her wrist casually and made a portal. With any luck, she could squeeze in a nap before her next meal. Stepping through the awaiting swirl of darkness, she headed to the bleak bedroom on the other side.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

Axel yawned and stretched his tall, lean body to its fullest length on the couch. He gave an ungraceful grunt of satisfaction and squeezed his eyes shut even tighter. Deep dreamless sleep-something too rare as of late. Any moment now, his mind would slip into an unconscious state. Sink into a realm where time held no meaning.

Engrossed in the image of his eyelid, he didn't hear a portal opening nearby.

"Wake up. You're in my seat." An accented voice said impatiently.

Axel didn't need to open his eyes to know who was speaking. "Just get a different seat Luxord. I got here first."

Luxord emitted a heavy sigh and the sound of rustling plastic came from right next to Axel's ear.

"What do you call this, eh?" Luxord asked, thoroughly peeved. "It's my bag of crisps. I was here first, mate."

Knowing he already lost the battle to fall asleep in spite of Luxord's presence, Axel slowly opened his eyes to narrow slits. Luxord's face leered down at him from above. The bag of 'crisps' could be seen just at the edge of Axel's field of vision.

"Why can't you just sit somewhere else to eat the damn chips?" Axel demanded.

"Don't act like a cranky tot." Luxord admonished, rolling his eyes. Speaking in a condescending tone, he added, "This seat is right in front of the table. I need it if I'm going to play a card game."

Axel scoffed. A card game. How typical. He should have guessed that from the start, given that he was arguing with Luxord.

"Whatever." He rolled off the couch and slouched away. The peaceful time for sleeping had passed. He was wide-awake whether he wanted to be or not.

Behind him, Luxord merely shuffled his cards and laid them out on the table. Probably to play solitaire, Axel concluded with distaste. It seemed like something the old prick would fight for the right to play. The door to the room shut with more force than necessary before Axel trailed down the hall at a snail's pace.

He sighed, fully aware that he would spend the rest of his day awake. Awake and undoubtedly sulking in boredom. He racked his brains for what he wanted to do, and only one option came to mind. An option he had been trying to avoid in this entire resurrected, heartless life. He just wanted to eat ice cream under the red glare of the setting sun.

Though he knew better-any dose of logic screamed the reality of the present situation-he wanted to see _him _there. Eating ice cream with that distant look he always wore until he caught sight of Axel. Then, Roxas would break into a smile forgetting whatever it was he had been thinking only seconds before.

"_You're late."_

Axel smiled, recalling the dozens of similar greetings. _"No, you're just early."_

He was glad for Roxas, even a little envious if it were possible. Part of him was unable to deny that he admired Roxas for his decision and the willpower to carry it out till the end.

Within minutes, he sat on the ledge of the clock tower, out of sight from the civilians mingling below. He looked remotely at the red sunset, gnawing his icecream without passion. It was oddly tasteless today.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

A loud knock on the door brought Xenalor back to consciousness. She groaned and rolled on to her stomach, burying her face in the pillow.

"Xenalor, its show time!" Demyx's voice called from the other side of the door.

That's right, Xenalor remembered with a jolt. She must have slept longer than she thought.

"One second." She called groggily.

She rolled off the bed and stumbled to the door, quickly raking a hand through her hair. Opening the door, she saw Demyx waiting politely. He smiled when she answered.

"I figured we should be early to get good seats. You don't want to end up on the floor, especially in front of Xigbar. It sucks being his footrest-trust me."

"I can believe that." Xenalor said with a small laugh. "Thanks for telling me. I probably would have been his stuck under his feet by the time I rolled out of bed."

"Sure," He patted her arm jovially. "What are friends for?"

Though Xenalor still wasn't happy about the mission with Axel, she couldn't bring herself to harbor a grudge against Demyx. The angers she 'felt' were hollow, but she suspected that he would be hard to stay angry at; even with a heart.

"Can I make the portal?" Xenalor asked.

"Yeah, sure thing. You know where it is?"

She nodded and focused on the inside of the room, enveloping the two of them in darkness. Opening her eyes, she smiled. Axel was already there, along with Larxene and Luxord. She was even surprised to find Zexion and Xaldin, though the two were away from the others who sat around a pile of discs.

"Here's one-" Larxene waved a disc above her head.

Catching a look at the cover, Luxord immediately objected. "No way." He said flatly. "We're not watching some torture-"

"It's not a torture film. It's a hack and slash." Larxene contradicted. "It's pretty funny too. The characters are all _idiots_-"

"_No_." A chorus of voices interrupted forcefully.

"Fine," Unperturbed, she tossed the rejected movie aside and dug through the pile again.

"How about this one?" Axel suggested, flashing the disc at the group.

"No racing movies. Those are boring." Larxene interjected, much to Axel's displeasure.

Demyx silently led Xenalor past the squabbling group to the center couch. He practically bounced with joy after they took a seat.

"I never get first pick." He explained animatedly. "This is great!"

After a while, more members showed up. Some immediately took part of choosing the movie while others were more concerned about the seating arrangement. In the end, the room had Xigbar, Xaldin, Zexion, Axel, Demyx, Xenalor, Larxene, Luxord and Marluxia crammed side-by-side. The number of arguments for seating arrangements was remarkably minute. Apparently "first come, first serve" was a generally accepted rule. A rule that excluded Xigbar, who managed to hold a seat on the couch by Demyx. The member most vocal about the rule's biased flexibility was Luxord, who promptly received a painful kick in the side when Xigbar's foot 'slipped.'

The movie itself wasn't bad for a typical action flick. Even though Xenalor felt she could have been just as happy sleeping, the snacks made it worthwhile. During some of the slower parts in the movie, she and Demyx silently exchanged little candies. Axel surprised her as well, by offering a piece of chocolate in exchange for a sour hard candy. She didn't question his begrudging change of attitude; she was too relieved to get rid of the nasty thing.

After the movie, there wasn't much reason to stay once each person's own mess was clean. The room began to disperse soon afterward and Xenalor said goodnight to Demyx.

Before she could leave, Saïx strode in to the room.

"Axel, Xenalor," He motioned the two over. "I've been informed that Xenalor will accompany you on your mission?" He looked at Axel over his clipboard.

"I don't think it's a good idea." Axel replied, trying to sound casual.

Saïx watched him steadily. "That is a yes, I assume?"

Axel's mouth clamped shut. "Yes," He answered finally, barely moving his lips as he spoke.

"Excellent." Saïx murmured, marking something on the board in front of him. "It begins tomorrow. We'll combine her training with your mission and make it into one mission. I should have thought of that before." Xenalor was sure he explained this with the full knowledge that Axel's lip would curl dangerously. "Her abilities with her weapon had better be markedly improved. Then she will be taken off your hands."

With that said, he left. Axel tore his eyes from the empty spot and looked down at Xenalor, his expression now unreadable.

"Rest up while you can, you're going to work your ass off tomorrow."

"Right." Xenalor confirmed to thin air after he left without a second to waste.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

The next morning, Axel found Xenalor already waiting in the lobby. Ignoring her, he walked over to Saïx who promptly held out a small cue card. "The two of you will need to write daily reports as the mission progresses."

"What do you mean, _as it progresses_?" Axel asked, dreading the inevitable answer.

Saïx raised his brow. "You expect the trainee to take out a large heartless right away? When she's able, the two of you will take it out together. It will be a good experience for her to battle something that isn't child's-play."

Axel nodded curtly and went to retrieve Xenalor. A portal ripped open beside him.

"Time to go. Anything you need before we head out?"

She shook her head and followed him through the corridor. She didn't look around the city with much interest, he noticed. She probably already saw the area when she raced Demyx.

"Let's start by laying down the ground rules, shall we?" Axel summoned his chakrams and absentmindedly twirled them by his side. Xenalor watched his weapons wearily as they dangled expertly from his fingertips

"Not going to be much of a fight today." He promised with a smirk, walking backwards to create a gap between them. "Rule one: You can't use your element-no matter what. Rule two: You have to fight back. Rule three: Break a rule and your personal safety is not guaranteed."

He looked up at her with a lazy smile. "Any questions?"

The girl briefly shook her head and Axel sank into a defensive crouch. She slowly raised her hands in front of her, her face contorted with concentration. Darkness briefly swirled in the palm of each hand, snaking out to a thin line before it evaporated. Axel narrowed his eyes, waiting for the weapon to appear. A moment of silence passed.

Growing impatient, he called out, "I thought you said you could use your weapon."

She looked at him blankly. "I am."

Axel stared incredulously at her empty palms, still foolishly hanging in the air. Before he could make a snarky comment, she spoke again.

"Listen."

Staying quiet, Axel listened. Sure enough, he could make out a faint noise not unlike windmill blades. What threads of patience he had left snapped.

"We agreed on _weapons only_," He growled. "Just remember-_you're _the one who broke the rules!" With that, he lunged forward. His chakram positioned before him to strike at close range.

Xenalor moved her hands and sidestepped Axel, thrusting at him with her fist. Her fist glazed over the top of his arm before he dodged further out of her reach.

"You missed." He stated simply, repositioning his chakrams.

She didn't move. "Look at your arm." She told him with a serious face.

"Like I'm going to fall for that." He sneered, advancing forward.

"Wait-" Her panicked plea was cut off abruptly with a swift kick to the stomach.

Axel lowered his weapon and walked over to her. His shadow loomed over the sprawled figure that was gasping for air. Given that they were talking, it was somewhat understandable that she didn't react in time to block his kick. Nevertheless, she should've had enough common sense to at least tighten her muscles when she was in such close range to a hostile enemy.

"Here's a tip," He began, watching her slowly get her breath back, "Don't expect mercy-not even from the Organization. Hell, especially not from the Organization."

Xenalor sat up and glared desperately at him with a stubborn expression. "Your coat." She managed, still winded.

He watched her perfectly resolute face in disbelief. Keeping her safely in his line of vision, he examined his sleeve. Sure enough, there was a small tear in the coat. Something small and sharp missed its mark. He looked back at her suspiciously.

"How did you do that?"

She raised her hands by her head again, darkness once more forming around her palm. Up close, Axel saw that it wasn't her palm so much as it was an elaborate loop around her middle finger. The familiar windmill sound could be faintly heard once again. Axel watched with interest. Being near to her, he could see light reflecting off a small pole that rotated with inhuman speed.

Xenalor closed her hands, grasping a small, thin pole in each one.

"These," she held both silver sticks up to his face, "are my weapons. Emeici." She added helpfully, to his still-confused look.

The ends of one stick ended in small replicas of the Nobody's insignia. The other came to an even finer point and was quite plain, like a double-ended ice pick. Neither weapon boasted decoration or color, but they looked efficient enough. He could see a small silver ring around her middle fingers that connected to the sticks.

Recovering from his surprise, Axel regarded them coolly. "Handy."

"Sometimes." She conceded, letting them disappear from her grasp. "The spinning has little combative purpose other than to confuse the enemy. The piercing can be fatal…if I hit my mark."

That, Axel noted, was the problem. She tried as hard as she could to hit him and barely even sliced his clothing. She should've had the upper hand as well, considering her weapon was as good as concealed.

She pressed on, either not noticing or not caring about the judgments going through her mentor's mind. "I like the sound it makes though. It's useful for me if I combine it with my element."

"Two in one." Axel mused. He scratched the side of his head and stepped back to give her some room to stand. "You've got potential at the very least. But you can't rely on your element alone."

Xenalor watched him in some surprise, an expectant look on her face. Too late, Axel realized the compliment sounded uncharacteristically sincere. Finding her stare unnerving, he turned and walked back to his starting position.

"Are you expecting a doggy treat?" He called over his shoulder. "'Cause you're not getting one. Not until you roll over and play dead."

He smirked at the low '_humph' _he got in return.

He pivoted swiftly, facing her. She took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. For once, she portrayed a desire to fight. To win. Knowing this attitude was what she needed to progress, he gave her a wide smile.

"Now that's more like it!"

_**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**_

**Emeici are Chinese martial arts' weapons in case anyone was wondering. (you tube it…they look pretty cool.) If I got anything about them wrong, feel free to correct me.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for yet another Author's note…I really hadn't intended to make so many when I started the fic. 0.o**

**I'll admit that right now, Xenalor's a bit difficult. Both to write and (in my personal opinion) to connect with. I got keyboard happy and had fun writing a Character Analysis. ****It's at the bottom of my profile page****. **_**It's spoiler free so long as you've read the fic up to whatever chapter I currently have posted!**_I love love_ love _reading about characters or outside theories about characters, so I thought I'd make an outline myself. Plus, I found it to be something I could use as I write.

**A **_**huge thanks **_**to everyone who's helped me out and to all who has read my story! Just knowing there's at least one person makes me giddy, ha-ha. Sorry again for the long note. Without further ado, here's Chapter 8. ^-^**

_**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**_

Axel spared her no mercy. Countless times, she found herself knocked to the ground before she could even blink. More energy was spent on efforts to avoid him rather than attack. This only seemed to ignite his relentless vitality, pushing her to work twice as hard. He kept his attacks mostly close range, only to jump backward at random intervals and throw a chakram she was hardly able to dodge. Her weapons proved to be no use when she needed to block an attack. Relying on nimbleness alone, she weaved, ducked, and sidestepped to evade the majority of his thrusts. She devised a method of offense by plunging her emeici forward at every opportunity presented to her. More often than not, Axel could easily foresee the strike. A while into their training, with no further progress, Axel stood just out of her reach. They watched each other unwaveringly. A sheen of sweat gleamed off each of their brows.

"You can't just stab that thing blindly Xenalor!" He yelled, his temper rising. "Your attacks are too predictable."

She bit her lip to keep from giving a scowl of her own. "I don't have another choice if I'm supposed to hit you."

"Your enemies aren't going to give you that chance!" He shot back.

Axel let out an annoyed puff of air and dismissed his weapons. His head shook with exasperation. "Larxene's weapons are more like yours." He groaned, clearly wanting to be anywhere else at the moment.

Xenalor, exhausted and beaten to her breaking point, snapped. "You're my mentor!" She yelled. "Why aren't you _teaching _me?"

Axel watched her outburst in surprise. "Eh-" He started in stupor, at a loss for words.

She cut him off, discarding her calm exterior altogether. "You keep knocking me around, waiting for me to suddenly get better. It's not working."

Axel raised his hands unconsciously, trying to calm her down. He approached her as he might a dangerous animal. "Hold on-" His hand hastened to cover her mouth, muffling her next heated complaint. "I'm trying to help you."

He slowly uncovered her mouth. While she didn't say anything, she did not look away from him either. She wanted to know just how exactly he was helping her. To her, it appeared the exact opposite. A twisted punishment she didn't deserve. As far as she could tell, he derived pleasure from watching her collide with the concrete.

His initial shock altered to a steady gaze as he observed her. When he finally spoke, his tone was bitingly glacial. "No one is going to show you mercy. Every battle is to the death." He told her quietly. "Haven't you heard? The world is cruel, so you must be crueler still."

He looked away, adding more gently, "There is no place for us in this universe. We were never supposed to exist."

Xenalor's frustrations grudgingly ebbed. She realized that in his own way, he was honestly trying to help. He was right, Nobodies were never meant to exist. She hadn't thought about it much beyond that. She only accepted it as truth. Since she did exist in a sense, or at least her body and mind could act on their own, she never contemplated what it really meant to _not _exist-what the consequences of such a fate actually were. She never thought how humans would react to them, if Nobodies would be accepted among those with hearts. No, they'd be outcasts. The world would view Nobodies as they truly were-empty shells of what should still be.

Breaking the silence, Xenalor stood and raised her weapons. "Teach me how I can fight back and dodge at the same time."

He looked at her again, a strange gleam in his eyes she couldn't recognize. His scrutiny made her squirm. His gaze was neither wholly friendly nor hostile. Her mind briefly flashed to the memory of talking with Larxene in the library. While she didn't get a good look at the female's eyes, they did not differ so much from how Axel looked at her now.

"Alright." He finally agreed. "We can try a different route of training-tomorrow." Seeing the look on her face, he smirked. "Can't have you fade on me, can I? Superior wouldn't be happy about that." His mouth twisted wryly at the irony of the statement.

"Here," he tossed a vial to her, which Xenalor clumsily managed to catch, "Saïx told me to give you this when we were through."

She hesitated. She couldn't recall Saïx handing Axel anything, apart from a cue card for the extended mission.

Her suspicion earned little reaction from Axel. "You don't have to drink it, it won't help much anyway. It's a low-grade potion and you look pretty banged up. No matter what you decide, you're still going to be sore and bruised." He grabbed the collar of her cloak with one hand, and held out the other to create a portal. "Try not to pass out in the darkness," he added helpfully before hurling her inside.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

A blank page sat before Xenalor, it's impending deadline was the only reason she was near it. She had to write regular mission reports for Saïx, and this one was due by morning.

Her ribs felt like they were abused by a metal hammer, and various parts of her body were growing to an abnormal size. The small green vial still sat on the other side of the desk, right where she had left it. It wasn't something she wanted to drink, but her willpower was quickly evaporating. The time spent resting only made her hurt more. Wincing at the sharp pain, she stretched out her arm to grab it.

Axel, in her training, warned her not to trust the Organization. This conflicted with something the Superior promised from the start: safety from the other members. They couldn't kill her, unless they wanted to turn into a dusk. When the Superior told her this rule, his face resembled an expression close to anger. The rule never struck Xenalor as being flexible.

However, if the Organization were untrustworthy, would that not include Axel as well? He might be nicer than when she first met him, but he was still one of the last people she would put her faith in. Perhaps he only advised her against the other members as part of the mission, a way for her to be better prepared for the other worlds. It could just be another aspect of the curriculum she needed to learn, before the mission was officially over.

In an attempt to drown her racing thoughts, Xenalor impulsively swallowed the green liquid. Immediately, she felt relief. With a contented sigh, she moved her limbs slowly. The ache was still there, but it was now dull. It was as though she endured a strenuous exercise instead of a battle.

She looked again at the mission report and grabbed a pen. The words that flowed onto the page were simple and direct, but should suffice. Since Axel promised a new twist on her training, she chose not to write poorly of his mentoring skills. Not that she wasn't tempted. A number of honest insults and accusations flashed through her mind, but she kept them to herself. There were future reports to write after all, should she change her mind.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

"Haven't talked to you before, Kupo." A small creature hovering in the center of the room commented.

Last night during dinner, Xenalor mentioned wanting to buy some potions to Demyx. Surprised at her ignorance, he told her about the Moogle's shop. The Organization recently hired the little creature and gave it a coat, so that the dusks would recognize it as an ally. In return, the Moogle opened a shop right there in the castle. To ensure its alliance, they gave it a small salary in addition to the munny it received from selling its wares. After thinking about it, Xenalor had to admit it was an impressive idea. Organization members buying healing items on a regular basis in another world would be conspicuous.

"Hello." Xenalor greeted politely, though unable to divert her eyes from the large red ball dangling above the thing's head.

The Moogle's nose twitched. As if used to the blatant stares, it spoke quickly, "please don't touch my pompom."

Xenalor hastily looked away. She couldn't help staring; she had never seen a creature quite like the Moogle before.

"What is your name, Kupo?" It asked. For the life of her, Xenalor couldn't distinguish the thing's gender, assuming they had different genders.

"Xenalor, what's yours?"

"It is no matter." The Moogle responded haughtily after a brief silence.

Xenalor paused, unsure how to respond to that ambiguous answer. She chose to drop the subject and pressed on with the real reason she came. "Do you sell potions?"

Its mood suddenly shifting, the Moogle bounced happily in the air. "I always have potions, Kupo!" It declared proudly. "Since this is your first visit, I'll even give you a discount."

"Really?" She stammered, bewildered by the creature's erratic behavior.

"I've got a _special _set with your name on it," the Moogle continued winningly. "It's yours for 25% off!"

Xenalor fished out the earnings she collected from defeating heartless. The Moogle snatched it from her hands and promptly dumped the five potions in her arms.

"It's a pleasure to con-I mean, serve you." The Moogle called out in a chipper voice as she walked unsteadily out the door, cradling the potions in her arms with extreme care.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

"You're late." Saïx informed Xenalor immediately upon her arrival in the lobby.

"I know," She visibly recoiled at his strict tone. "I was buying some things at the Moogle's store and-"

"Axel's already waiting for you." He interrupted and nodded his head to the portal already open beside him.

She slipped past him and went through. On the other side, Axel leaned against a building with folded arms. Walking closer, Xenalor saw his eyes were closed. If it weren't for his lucid talking, he could be mistaken as being asleep.

"You took your time."

"Sorry," She mumbled. Just as she launched into another explanation, he waved her off.

"No excuses." He finally opened his eyes. "Other members aren't going to wait as patiently as I did. Don't start thinking I'll wait again either."

Xenalor nodded and waited for him to continue.

"Let's get this started then." He clapped his hands together and straightened up. "The enemy isn't often going to leave you an opportune moment to strike. You have to create your own. Improvise a little, like so."

He aimed a slow-motioned kick for her abdomen. Quickly thinking, Xenalor summoned her emeici and used the two poles to capture Axel's foot. Once caught, she used his increasing momentum and swung his leg to the side, forcing him to turn his back to her. She lunged behind him, the tips of her weapons stopping millimeters from the sides of his throat.

"Not bad." He praised, fluidly stepping out of the pose. "Once you can do that a little faster, you might have a chance at surviving."

Xenalor did not let his satirical statement bother her. Alternatively, she opted to view it as a compliment of sorts. Regardless his tone, it was a kinder remark than she had been planning to receive that day.

The training was simple, but thorough. Xenalor learned his alternative methods of combat well enough to exhibit them in battle. Though Axel still had to fight her with slowed reactions and less power, she couldn't deny that today was much more beneficial than the last. By the end of it, she could proudly say her body was still in working condition. She hadn't even had need of the potion yet, much to her relief. The Moogle may have given her five, but if they were anything like the one Axel gave her, those wouldn't last long.

"Better," Axel acknowledged at the end of the session. "But you could be learning even faster if you just pushed yourself."

Xenalor, panting and sweating, didn't honor him with a reply.

"We'll work like this again tomorrow. " He gave a sadistic grin. "Just don't think I'm going to give you baby steps."

She kept her face carefully blank. No doubt he'd give her a brutal reminder of his physical prowess.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

By now, Xenalor had gone through a week of solid training. Axel's ability to improvise during combat made him a unique enemy, at least in comparison to the heartless. Just when she thought she had seen all his different types of attacks, he'd resort to something new that never failed to throw her off guard. His latest one was one of his most inventive strategies. He tugged Xenalor's hair from behind, forcing her backward onto the ground. He then proceeded to bring the chakram to her neck before she was halfway up. Thinking of it still made the back of her skull ache. Worst of it was she discovered potions did little to ease a migraine.

As the week went on, she wondered why the Moogle called her potions a special set. From what she could tell, they did even less than the one Axel gave her. To be fair, it was possible that the potions only seemed less effective because her body wasn't in dire need of them like they were the first time. Even the taste was different from her first. These had little flavor, not at all unlike watered-down juice.

Only one left, she gave a resigned sigh. Only one more potion before she was fully out of luck. The meager amount of munny that remained in her coin purse was laughable at best. Not even enough to buy more than a small _snack_.

She was consoled knowing that her loss of items was not in vain. Her proficiency with the emeici was slowly advancing. Axel hadn't given her a chance to practice in a real battling situation, but she assumed he must have thought she was getting better since the training became increasingly strenuous.

The next day, Xenalor met him at the same place as usual. Rather than take out his weapon, however, he motioned her closer.

"Today's the day," he informed as soon as she was next to him. "It's time to wipe out that heartless."

"Already?" Xenalor gasped, watching wide-eyed as he created a portal.

He gave a cheeky grin, clearly amused at her discomfort. "Saïx said it's been there too long. Time to put that ugly thing out of its misery."

Pulling the stunned Xenalor by her sleeve, he dragged her through the darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Where did it go?" Axel asked no one in particular for the second time.

According to the description he was given, the Heartless roaming around Port Royal should not be difficult to find. Powerful, yet unintelligent, to disguise itself was too clever of a notion for the Heartless to consider. Somewhere it lurked out in the open, waiting for the next victim to stumble upon it. Thanks to this very lack of subtlety, the heartless earned itself premature orders for execution.

Xenalor remained silent, trailing behind Axel with all the swagger of a whipped dog. Amused as he was by her apprehension, he couldn't understand it. Given that it was still a training mission for her, the situation was hardly life-or-death. Her lack of self-confidence only grated on his nerves, somehow managing to drain his energy as well. At the rate she advanced, her training may very well count as a failed mission despite the soon-to-be defeated Heartless and what progress she actually did make.

"Look," He found himself speaking before he planned exactly what to say, "I'm not going to let you fade. It's not worth becoming a dusk over. I mean, with your level of self-confidence it's bound to happen sooner or later anyhow."

Immediately, it was clear she missed the spark of humor in his statement. Her eyes narrowed slightly, glaring at the ground.

Girls, Axel glowered to himself. They're always so freaking sensitive, even the ones that don't have hearts.

To alleviate the negative ambiance before the battle came, he made another attempt to get his meaning across.

"What I'm trying to say is: if you buck up you'll do okay."

She finally looked up at him, and nodded. Her brow puckered in thought and Axel exhaled with relief. The last thing he wanted was to waste his breath delivering more lame lines like some cheap therapist. The silence stretched on again, but he wasn't particularly concerned. Even at her better times, she was predisposed to remain quiet. If it weren't for her recent outburst at the end of the first training session, a stranger could easily mistake her as a mute.

A shrill scream followed by a deafening crash jolted both Axel and Xenalor out their own idle thoughts.

Axel gave his paralyzed comrade a twisted grin. "Found it-." He sang smugly.

With Xenalor following a short distance behind, he chased after the source of the noise before the heartless moved far.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

Xenalor raced through the streets at full speed, finding it difficult to concentrate on both Axel and her own footing at the same time. The world they were in, Port Royal Axel called it, was not completely uninhabited. To avoid detection, they had kept to the dark alleys and winding streets. If her companion hadn't been leading, the pair would have traveled in circles countless times.

Axel halted suddenly, not even flinching when Xenalor collided with his back. Her eyes widened at the size of the advancing shadow, but Axel only laughed. Summoning his chakrams, he twirled them elaborately from his fingertips.

"Come on," He cooed. "Come here, boy!"

Xenalor restrained herself from clamping her hand over Axel's loud mouth. Stepping into view, the heartless sauntered toward the two Nobodies slowly, shaking the earth beneath tem with every footstep. Its stocky body was predominantly black and gold, with short legs and two ridiculously long arms that ended in razor-sharp claws. Golden fingers clicked together like knives while red eyes hungrily watched the newcomers.

"See," Axel looked over his shoulder, his eyes full of mirth. "Not so bad once you start, am I right?"

Xenalor mustered a strangled sort of squeak in return, making Axel snort.

"Stop making yourself believe you're scared. It's impossible, remember?" He clicked his tongue at her prolonged silence. "Now would be a good time to get out those weapons." He hinted.

At the mention of fighting, the haze in Xenalor's mind cleared. Summoning her emeici, she gathered her courage and lunged forward after Axel.

The heartless, sensing two easy kills, snaked its arm forward. Axel and Xenalor quickly dropped to the ground and rolled, leaving only a clump of dirt for the oversized hand to grasp. With a shriek of rage, the barrel-bodied creature plundered toward Axel. Axel smirked as he waited for the slow moving heartless to draw near. The moment it was within range, a flash of fire and metal collided with the metallic skin. He watched the creature write in pain with a feral grin and motioned for Xenalor to perform a follow-up.

Hugging the creature's blindside, she ran, gripping her weapons tightly. Knowing she had a limited amount of time to strike, Xenalor plunged the tip of a weapon in the vulnerable gap of its elbow. The heatless hissed in pain, and swung its arm forward, pulling the connected Xenalor up with it. Below, she heard Axel curse and could sense him redoubling his efforts while she hung in midair, virtually useless. Emitting an audible growl of frustration, Xenalor knew she had to do something. The heartless was dumb, but even the most idiotic of creatures would eventually squash a dangling, painful nuisance. She jerked her arm back with all her might.

The weapon didn't budge. Her stomach lurched and she desperately repeated her efforts, each time more forceful than the last. The heartless felt no shift in the pain, and swung its arm sharply to the left. The ring around Xenalor's finger, the only thing keeping her hold on her weapon and by extension preventing an untimely fall to the death, rubbed her skin raw. Crying out in pain, she took the only action she could think of. She wanted that thing to feel ten times the pain she did. Her legs curled to her chest and she swung her body forward and back. The higher she swung, the more the emeici shifted.

The heartless produced a piercing scream. Its body lunged around the battlefield, stumbling under the duress of both Axel's attacks and the constant pain in its arm.

"Ah-" Xenalor gasped jubilantly as the emeici dislodged itself from the tough black skin beneath the golden armor. The arms continued to wave, but Xenalor was no longer a part of the sporadic movements. It howled as it staggered wildly about, slowly fading into the night air.

Her triumphant smile lasted for but a fleeting second before common sense settled in. She may have been free, but freedom is a bittersweet aspiration at such a dangerous altitude.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

"Agh-" Axel's backside crashed into the ground. He groaned in pain and struggled to his feet. That was going to leave a mark.

He was treading dangerous ground. Something was going on that made the heartless restless, but Axel didn't have time to figure out what. If it weren't for the threat of Xenalor's death, he could have surveyed the area. As things stood now, he simply had to hope that whatever it was, it was on his side.

A resounding gasp halted his next flood of attacks. His eyes snapped upward and widened at the sight. Xenalor, about five feet from where he stood now, was falling. He bit back a curse and abandoned his target. If she continued to fall, particularly in that position, she'd break her spine.

Without thinking, he spread his arms out and waited. Within seconds, her weight knocked him into the ground, turning his vision black.

**.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.**

"Axel-" A female's voice pleaded urgently from a far off location.

A low groan answered her. After a moment's silence, Axel realized that the guttural noise came from him.

"_Axel-" _His breath stopped short. That voice. He hadn't heard it in so long; he almost forgot what it sounded like.

"_Axel, wake up." _Roxas and the girl commanded simultaneously. The girl sounded frantic, and Roxas sounded…amused. Amused at Axel's predicament? At his refusal to open his eyes?

Axel forced his eyelids apart and watched the face above him. There were no tears. The wide gray eyes that stared back at him showed none on their way, in spite of the worry they portrayed. Strands of the long black hair that untangled itself from its band hung limply, brushing his cheek. The face above gasped and smiled in relief, continuing to smile as Axel slowly came to.

'Where is he?" Axel croaked.

She blinked, confusion etched into her features. "Who?"

His eye twitched. There was no time for this, why was she being so difficult? "Roxas." He snapped. "Where did he go?"

She only continued to stare at him, her smile gone and mouth gaping uselessly.

"He was here." Axel insisted, not knowing why it was so important for him to press the issue. "I'm not lying."

"Axel," Xenalor addressed him softly, a hint of fear now visible in her eyes. "You just woke up."

"I heard him!" He didn't care he was yelling now. Nor did he care as she winced in pain when he grabbed her wrist. "He was calling my name, I heard it!"

Now, her confused eyes began to form tears. "That was me." She whispered, trying to pry her arm free. "You were knocked out. I-I didn't know what to do. The heartless is gone, but a portal wouldn't open and-"

Realization washed over him like cold water. Instantaneously, he dropped her wrist. While she rubbed it gingerly, something inside him clenched tightly.

"Sorry." He mumbled unconsciously.

She looked a little surprised for a minute, but shook her head. "I'm the one who should say that." She shifted in her place guiltily. "It was a foolish idea, and not at all thought out."

With a new wave of determination and confidence, she looked him in the eye. "Thank you for catching me." She inclined her head formally. "You saved my life."

"Uh…" Axel looked everywhere but her. Even if it were a conscious and completely unselfish act on his part, he wouldn't feel comfortable right now. Diverting her attention from her own gratitude, he nodded his head toward the hand he grabbed, the one she now cradled. "It looks…"

Her eyes traveled to where he was indicating. "Oh," She stumbled over her words, clearly flustered for some unknown reason. With a determined face she added, "It's fine."

"Good." He said distractedly, and attempted to get up. Almost immediately, he grunted and fell back, clutching his chest with one hand.

"How much do you weigh anyway?" He inquired balefully, tenderly rubbing the sore area.

"Eh?"

He snorted, remembering how Larxene reacted the last time someone dared to ask her that very question. "No offense. It's just…" he scanned his tired brain, trying to form the right words. "Are you made of lead or something?"

"Excuse me?" He couldn't help but chuckle at the baffled look on her face. The entire situation was oddly hilarious.

"I think you hit your head." Xenalor mumbled under her breath and reached her uninjured hand into her coat. She pulled out a familiar little vial that Axel accepted gratefully. He downed the contents in one gulp, and stiffened. Xenalor watched as his eyes bulged from their sockets comically.

"What is this?" Axel sputtered, choking on the green liquid.

"A potion." She answered a bit impatiently.

He snorted. "The Moogle's standards must be slipping." He made a face and tossed the empty vial aside. "His salary should be cut for selling faulty wares."

"He said it was a special set." Xenalor explained with a shrug. "He sold it on a discount. He was very kind too. " She added tactfully in the Moogle's defense. He could see how she thought he was being too harsh on the annoying white creature. Truthfully, the little white brat was already overpaid, but it was the best applicant that would accept the position.

"_Special set_, huh?" Axel grunted, rising to his feet. "Yeah, I'll bet he was nice when he actually managed to sell that crap."

She didn't understand his foul attitude. "I got five for 25% off. They are potions, I've used them. They work."

He gave her a look, openly questioning her intelligence. "You do realize that he sold you _watered-down _potions, right? These barely do anything."

He sighed at her blank face. "You are the perfect customer." He complimented with a sardonic smile.

"What do you mean?" She demanded, growing defensive.

"You're gullible." He replied, no hint of remorse in voice. Finding it easier to move regardless of the potion's quality, he stood.

"Now about that portal," he rubbed his hands together, blatantly ignoring her affronted reaction. "They won't open for you because you're still in a training mission. Only I can open and close the passageways around here."

He made a gesture with his hand. "Let's go," He ushered her through the darkness. "Our intertwined missions are officially completed. Just like they were supposed to be _ages _ago."

As they left, his mind reached out to a friend that he knew wouldn't get the message.

_I finally have my second life, and look how far apart we still are._

"So how did you fall anyway?" Axel asked.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

"That took a while," A voice commented from the corner of the lobby. Axel's face darkened as he turned to the senior member.

"We got 'carried away', _sire_. Our mission was up in the air for a minute, ya know?" His tone didn't match his deep bow. Green eyes twinkled briefly at Xenalor. She bit back a smile, secretly impressed by his direct reference to their private joke in front of a senior member.

Catching the look of displeasure etched into Saïx's face, Xenalor stiffened. Before she could get a closer analysis, however, his expression smoothed over. Had she simply been seeing things?

"Superior would like your mission reports tonight." Saïx instructed tonelessly before walking away.

"How kind of you to wait here just to tell us that." Axel grumbled loudly behind his back. The other man gave no indication of having heard, and slipped out the door.

"Well, I guess that's that." Axel stretched out his arms. "Tell you what, I'll leave out how you hung around during the battle if don't tell anyone about that thing bruising my ass."

"Wait, what?" Her brows arched.

He paused, looking oddly sheepish. "Oh, so you didn't know…heh." He rubbed the side of his head reflexively. "Well, whatever. Just don't commit it to memory."

Xenalor nodded. Satisfied, he began walking away.

"That's right." He exclaimed suddenly. He pivoted back around to face her. "Since that was our last and biggest mission together, let me just tell you this so it won't come back to haunt me. That was some good improvising you did up there, but next time try to have some sort of plan. Otherwise everyone will be on my case for not mentioning the extent of your crappy fighting in my report."

With a lazy wave of his hand, he left the lobby.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**A bit of an info dump chapter-sorry. . **

**Also, I'm sorry this took so long to publish. I'm not trying to put writing this fanfic off-I have too much fun writing it to do that-I just have a less time than usual. Very little time, in fact.  
This one is also a little short, but at least it's now public! ^^**

_**x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x**_

Saïx frowned at Axel's mission report. The double-mission filled the requirements needed to complete the written assignment while still managing to leave as little detail as possible. He had been counting on receiving further information about the new Number XIII's progression. Her role in the battle, however, was mentioned briefly. Only that she had done little damage, but stayed loyal to her duty. Surely, if that were true, Number VIII would have time to survey her progression as well as contribute himself to the fight. The selected mission was designed to be easy so long as two worked together. The heartless was strong, but unintelligent. There should not have been a problem, even without the use of Number XIII's element.

Xenalor's mission report proved no better. If anything, she succeeded in being vaguer than her companion. The finer details of the battle remained hazy, but she took great care

in focusing her writing on aspects that were of less importance. The heartless and the weak spots in its armor, for example, was only irrelevant data of a dead creature. The most pleasing part of the girl's report was noting how they treaded outside of the populated streets and upheld complete secrecy throughout the course of the fight.

All Saïx could gather from both reports was that Number XIII gave the heartless a constant stream of little damage. Each account treaded carefully around her specific involvement, but it was obvious something happened. Saïx knew Axel well, even as he watched him change in their time as Nobodies. After he and Xenalor returned, a familiar spark gleamed in Axel's eyes. The redhead's face was perfectly unreadable, but his eyes never could lie. Without even seeming to try, Axel proved his excellent acting in this manner. The similarity to the past when he spent so much time with Roxas was striking. Back then, Saïx was almost certain that his comrade had found a way to obtain a heart-or something close to it. Nevertheless, this girl was no keybearer. Her existence in Axel's eyes could be nothing short of a stimulant of his memories of Roxas. This new Nobody's attitude is close to Roxas' during his first days: naïve and in need of practice and attention.

Not having any substantial evidence of Xenalor and Axel's deceit, Saïx could only accept their reports and move on. It was an irksome notion, not yet knowing how competent the newest member was. Her eventual role would be useful, but until then she had to become much more experienced. How could he assign appropriate missions without completely knowing the level of Xenalor's strength?

He stowed away the reports for future reference and stood. After a cup of coffee, he could decide his next course of action.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

"I heard you've defeated your first real heartless." A cryptic voice filled the calm silence that settled over the room.

Xenalor's head snapped up from the book she was reading. Larxene stood in the entryway of the library, waiting for a response. Upon seeing the headstrong woman, Xenalor scolded herself for not hearing the door open. _'Awareness is a constant practice,' _Vexen told her once. The least she could do was take note of someone entering the room.

"Good morning." Xenalor responded shyly. She felt stumped at how to respond to her greeting; she could scarcely consider that affair a real battle, let alone a victory.

Whatever her thoughts on the matter, Larxene kept them to herself and sat in the chair opposite Xenalor. Something in the aqua-colored eyes made her uneasy and it was once again Larxene who took the initiative the open a conversation.

She spoke without hesitation, completely confident in her own words. "I could help you become stronger. All you have to do is ask."

Xenalor looked taken aback by the genuine kindness in her voice. "You would do that for me?"

"It's about time somebody did it right." Larxene slumped in her seat and folded her arms behind her head, an unpleasant smile creeping over her face. "We don't want another Demyx on our hands if someone's willing to learn otherwise."

Xenalor held back a frown at the last remark. It didn't seem fair that Demyx was often the butt-end of everyone's jokes, but then again, it was clear he wasn't trying to alter his own image either.

"I'd like to learn." Xenalor confessed quietly.

Her answer delighted Larxene. "Good." A beat passed before she continued. "But I do hope you realize I don't offer free services."

A catch in this seemingly kind gesture should have been obvious from the start, Xenalor thought with a sigh.

"What exactly are you asking for?"

Larxene smiled. "Only for a little help with something later on." She caught the girl's immediate frown. "Relax, it's not going to be that big. There's just nothing I need at the moment."

Xenalor drummed her fingers unconsciously on the arm of her chair. An open-ended promise was not something she wanted to waltz right into, but Larxene was right. She did need help. Without improvement, she will likely suffer consequences. Besides, even Axel commented that Larxene's weapons were similar to her own.

"It's worth a small favor." She answered slowly, choosing her words with care. "When do we start?"

Larxene stood. "Later. Soon, but later. I'll send over a dusk when I make a date. Tata for now! Try not to miss me too much."

After she disappeared with a graceful wave of her hand, Xenalor bit her lip absentmindedly. Hopefully, she didn't just sign herself up for bathroom-cleaning duty or some other grueling chore.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

Demyx was sympathetic to Xenalor's retelling of her last mission's shortcomings. The girl had opened up considerably now, even though she often remained quiet. He found to his surprise that the silence with her was a comfortable one. Like Lexaeus, she had a way of putting Demyx at ease without saying much. The thought of this comparison sounded unfair, as she was more fun than the larger senior member, but it was true nonetheless.

He found himself enjoying their time together as she talked more and more. The insightfulness she displayed when talking about other worlds impressed him. In one day, she learned pieces of information that took Demyx several different missions to understand. She didn't realize her natural gift, but Number IX did.

After an accurate description of Port Royal's winding streets and its overall gloomy feel, Demyx got an idea. The passing of the last mission and her reconciliation with Axel put her in a good mood. Not that he could blame her, he'd be cheery too if he had a chance to fool Saïx and get away with it. There was a world he had trouble performing recent reconnaissance. Having her around to help him would be not only helpful, but also comforting. Halloween Town gave him the chills. Though it would probably have the same effect on her, at least she could do the work quicker so the both of them could keep their heads attached. Literally.

Just as Demyx opened his mouth to ask, a sound cut him off. A tall figure walked through a dark corridor, looking at the pair in distaste. Xenalor sat up from her resting position on the couch, but Demyx made no move to shift out of his comfortable position. His boots remained firmly planted on the little table in front of him, and he ignored the new arrival with a stubbornly bored expression.

"You're late, Demyx." Xaldin glowered at the young nobody.

Demyx cocked his head in thought. What was he late for again?

Knowing Xaldin was waiting on him impatiently, Demyx's mind went oddly blank. The stern stare was too distracting for him focus. Finally, he gave up and offered the tall man a sheepish smile.

"Late for what?"

Xaldin's lip curled. "Your mission report. The rest of us can't start on our own missions until your overdue assignment is completed and I do not have the time to sit around and wait for you."

Demyx could have pointed out that he just contradicted himself, seeing as he basically had nothing _but _time until the mission report was completed. Given the circumstances, however, he felt it wise to not mention that fact. This particular member took the idea of discipline to a painfully harsh level.

"Sheesh, okay. I'll hand it over to Saïx later, alright? Er, right now works too." He changed his mind hastily as Number III's expression darkened.

With a quick goodbye to the startled Xenalor, Demyx disappeared in a swirl of darkness.

_**x-x-x-x-x-x**_

Xenalor watched the scene with open amazement. For people who couldn't feel anything, they certainly acted as if they could. She doubted she would ever be able to produce the same effect they did no matter how long she practiced. Pretending to feel anything was more difficult than she imagined. Thankfully, her body and mind automatically relied on Lenora's memories to influence her reactions. Sometimes consciously, other times not. But there was no mistaking it for true emotion; it was simply going through the actions. Deep down, she knew every smile and glare was hollow.

Xemnas told her what seemed ages ago, before she even joined, that the empty space where a heart should be was like a poisonous oblivion for Nobodies. Slowly, these creatures all yearn to become what they once were. Whether or not Xenalor desired Lenora's life was tricky. She didn't quite know what exactly she was searching for yet, but nonetheless, the Organization gave her a cause to fight for. Maybe with a heart, she could understand what it is she is seeking for so earnestly.

Any illusion of feeling Xaldin generated quickly slipped. As soon as Demyx left the room, his expression smoothed into its regular apathetic state. His head inclined politely in Xenalor's direction before he walked away.

"Strange," She murmured to herself before walking out of the room as well. Without Demyx's constant chattering, the quietness seemed stifling.

Along the hallway, she met Axel walking by at a leisurely pace. Slightly pursing his lips, he stared blankly ahead-too engrossed in his own thoughts to notice her until they stood almost side-by-side. He turned his head and flashed her a crooked smile.

"The fluffed mission reports were a success."

"He doesn't suspect anything?" She asked.

Axel ran a hand messily through his hair. "I dunno if I'd say that," he admitted. "But it worked this time which is what counts. It's not like you planned to tweak them again anyway."

Xenalor took heed of the subtle warning in his words. "Right."

"Good," He paused. "See you later, I guess."

He walked past her down the hallway. Without thinking, she followed him. "Axel-" She called.

Surprised, Axel turned his head back toward her and waited. She took a breath and forced out the question that had been weighing on her mind.

"Why do you dislike me?"

He averted his gaze. "I've got to go."

Before he could leave, Xenalor quickly lunged her arm forward and grabbed onto his upper arm. Ignoring his protesting jerks to escape her hold, she held her ground with stubborn determination.

"Why?" She repeated, forcing herself to look at him directly.

Looking torn between giving up and prying her off with sheer force, he gave a small groan of annoyance. She chose not to acknowledge it, and waited for him to continue.

"It's not just you, ok?" He exploded irately. Her eyes widened as his hand passed wearily across his face.

He was so unlike himself, Xenalor's face blanked in shock. This tired and desolate person was nothing like the Axel she had met before; the man who was too arrogant and argumentative for his own good. The one who never spoke without bitter sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Now, he just sounded weak and tired. As if his thoughts drained whatever energy he had left in him.

"You don't have to say," Xenalor broke the prolonged silence. Her voice, though quiet, was glacial. "But please, don't treat me in a manner I don't deserve."

Not looking up into his surprised eyes, she turned away and walked as quickly as she could. Part of her couldn't believe her own rash actions-it wasn't like her. She was a smart girl; she thought before she spoke, calculated before she acted. This 'new' her, the Xenalor not like Xenalor, made her skin crawl was everything she had been avoiding. All the things she thought she escaped haunted her-a shadow to her light, the light to her darkness. She was, in short, reverting right back to her old self.

Lenora.


End file.
